Edinburgh’s Festivals started with in 1947 with the first Edinburgh International Festival. There now many others throughout the year. You can see music, dance, theatre, comedy, magic, film, books, jazz, science, storytelling, parades, exhibitions and the Tattoo. During the summer festival season the city centre is full of buskers, street food and street performers.
The Festivals appeal to visitors of all ages. Here is the Palais du Variete in George Square. The buggies lined up outside give a clue as to the target audience!
Most of Edinburgh’s festivals take place in the summer but the Science Festival is at Easter and there is a big Festival over Christmas / New Year. Hundreds of thousands of guests and performers come from all over the world.
Edinburgh’s Festivals are generally regarded as the world’s largest arts event. For example, the 3746 shows in the 2024 Fringe sold over 2.5 million tickets. Most events at the Fringe last around 50 minutes, so you can cram several shows into one day.
