Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Edinburgh International Festival, Fringe & Military Tattoo

Edinburgh's celebrated International Festival dates as far back as 1947 when it began life with a focus on the arts and performance. Today Festival arts, theatre, comedy, street performance and more revolve around the Edinburgh Fringe (see the Edinburgh Fringe website right for full listings of events and booking online). Edinburgh Fringe festival events take place in numerous pubs, cafes and churches of Edinburgh, as well as on the Edinburgh streets. Taken as a whole, the August/September Edinburgh Festival offers a superb programme of theatre, opera, dance, classical music concerts, street art performance, jazz and blues music events, politics, Melas, film and various events in Edinburgh's many museums and art galleries. For a full list of the various Edniburgh Festivals see the main Edinburgh Festival weblink right for details.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo (see weblink right) is at the heart of the August Edinburgh Festival. A military musical extravaganza indeed, with events running over three weeks annually in August and taking place around Edinburgh Castle and Esplanade. All the performers in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo are soldiers, members of Scottish regiments and the music you'll here are often historic battle tunes with pipes (bagpipes) and drums to the fore. There's plenty of International guest performers too, but the pipes and drumas are at the core of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It is a dazzling event, particularly with its castle backdrop

The two main ways to book yourself on Edinburgh Festival events are either to do it online via the Edinburgh Festival weblink right, or via The Hub Edinburgh Festival booking office near Edinburgh Castle. You can book online via The Hub's website, or alternatively visit the Hub or individual venues and book. Edinburgh venues for events during the Festival period are diverse and include theatres, cinemas, pubs, clubs, museums, galleries and outside on the street. For a list of all venues and events, plus information on access and discounts check the Edinburgh Festival websites to the right. Particular key venues for Edinburgh Festival events include Usher Hall, The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, King's Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre, The Edinburgh Playhouse, The Hub, the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens and Greyfriars Kirk.

The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE. Tel: 44(0)131 473 2015. Edinburgh's Hub (the big gothic building which you can't miss) adjacent to Edinburgh Castle is where to head for the full Festival information package (weblink right for details). The Edinburgh Tattoo Office, 32 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB. Tel: 44 (0)8707 555 118. (weblink right for details).

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Edinburgh Book Festival, International Film & August Festivals

Edinburgh Book Festival events form part of the big August Edinburgh Festival extravaganza, and are based in Charlotte Square Gardens (they have a big tent up there turning Charlotte Square Gardens into a tent village). Beginning in 1983, the Book Festival today offers around 700 different events and many an author is usually about. Since 2001 debates and discussions also form part of the Book Festival. There's also an offshot Children's Programme.

Edinburgh International Book Festival Box Office, PO Box 23835, Edinburgh, EH2 4WS. Tel. 0845 373 5888. For booking tickets for Edinburgh Book Festival in person visit the counter booking office at Waterstones book shop on George Street. Alternatively order online via their weblink right. Tickets are delievered by post, but if you're booking 7 days or less before the Festival then pick tickets up at the tent on Charlotte Square Gardens - the centre for Edinburgh Book Festival events. See Edinburgh Book Festival website right for ticket office opening times.

Another Festival at the core of August events is the Edinburgh International Film Festival - its been around a while this one and began life as a documentary film festival. Today it's firmly on the world film festival map, serving as an innovative introducer of new European cinema. Edinburgh is blessed with a choice of character filmhouses/cinemas including Cameo, The Filmhouse and Cineworld. (see the Edinburgh Film section on this website for details).

Edinburgh International Film Festival, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9BZ. Scotland UK. Tel. 44 (0)131 228 4051. See also weblinks for other themed festivals (some of them relatively new) under the Edinburgh August/September Festival umbrella including the Festival of Politics, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, the Edinburgh Mela and the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert. See also the Edinburgh Art Festival weblink right for downloadable programme of Art Festival events from the end of July through to early September.

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Edinburgh International Science Festival & Spring Festivals

Look to Springtime in Edinburgh for more choice of superb festivals, notably the Edinburgh International Science Festival which now takes place in April annually (weblink right for details). A selection of venues come together in Edinburgh to offer a programme of events with a science leaning. These include the Botanics, Edinburgh Zoo, Our Dynamic Earth and various museum/other Edinburgh venues.

The Edinburgh Science Festival is a particularly good one for children, with a choice of interactive events and exhibitions running, along the lines of exploring habitats, recycling, and garden crews. There's usually quite a bit going on in the Museums around Edinburgh durfing the Science Festival, as well as the ever evolving Wonderama exhibit held at the Assembly Rooms on George Street.

Edinburgh International Science Festival, 4 Gayfield Place Lane, Edinburgh, EH1 3NZ. Tel. 0131 558 7666. Order tickets online via the Edinburgh Science Festival website (link right), or call the Box Office for Tickets and Programmes on 0131 5249830.

The Edinburgh Spring Festival runs in early April annually (usually around 7/8 April, see weblink right for forthcoming dates). The focal space for this festival is Princes Gardens where exhibits, marquees, maypole dance, circus skills and more are all indulged in. See also the Betane Fire Festival towards the end of April (website right). Beltane is a festival with origins in ancient Scottish and Irish Gaelic traditions. Beltane in Celtic translates as bright/sacred fire, and as you can imagine a number of fire oriented events take place during this festival.

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Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh Ghostfest & Summer Festivals

The Royal Highland Show, which takes place annually in late June (weblink right) couldn't have a better location. The Event takes place in Ingliston to the West of Edinburgh city centre, right next to Edinburgh International Airport and the A8. Two main big car parks (East and West Car parks) are located just beside the A8 and the Showground. The site for this event covers around 300 acres! It's a huge Scottish agricultural show and not to be missed.

The Royal Highland Show is one of the UK's best agricultural shos, with plenty too going on for children. You can expect to see numerous displays of cattle, sheep and horse breeds, plus a choice of food and drink stalls at the Royal Highland exhibition. Other events and exhibitions on-site include a huge craft show, an oudoor living area, a countryside arean with events, a liefstyle area (find your hot tub here!) and a popular Equestrian Area. The Royal Highland Show also hosts the biggest exhibition of agricultural machinery in Great Britain.

Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NF. Tel. 44 (0)131 3356200.

Another Edinburgh Summer Festival highlight is the relatively new (first held in 2005) Mary King's Ghostfest in mid-May. As you can imagine Living TV and the series Most Haunted join in the ghostfest which revolves around apparently Edinburgh's most haunted street - Mary King's Close. Ever heard of Electronic Voive Phenomenon? Well, you can attend a workshop on it and more during the Edinburgh Ghostfest. If you're (un)lucky you might bump into Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe or Steve Parsons - spook! See the Edinburgh Ghostfest weblink right for details. Also in May in Edinburgh are the Edinburgh Marathon and the Children's International Theatre Festival - see weblinks right for details.

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Hogmanay in Edinburgh, Scottish Burns Night & Winter Festivals

Outside of the Edinburgh Festival peak month in August, Festival fever really pumps up the volume again around New Year. Edinburgh's Hogmanay New Year celebrations are internationally renowned and the crowds pour in again to Edinburgh.

Torchlight Processions, the Night Afore International carnival of colour on George Street, Garden Concerts, Ceilidhs, street parties and more all take place during Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations. Check the website right for details.

Edinburgh makes a perfect base for Burns Night (25th January) celebrations, with a choice of events and celebrations running across the city. See Macsweens of Edinburgh website right for Macsweens Haggis and tips on how to organise a Burns supper involving partaking in Haggis and singing Auld Lang Syne written by Burns of course. Macsween also do a vegetarian haggis!

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