Edinburgh's abuzz with festivals
You don’t have to be brave of heart to visit Scotland, but you do need a lot of stamina! In Edinburgh alone, there are festivals after festivals to keep you busy throughout the whole of summer:
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (Jul 31 – Aug 9)
This annual event presents top-quality performers in venues around the city. There are around 100 concerts over the ten days of the event as well as jam sessions, You can also look forward to barbecues and a full programme of free outdoor events.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Aug 7 – Aug 31)
While the official Edinburgh International Festival concentrates on what some like to call “the high arts,” the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival is more eclectic.
Edinburgh Art Festival (Aug 5 – Sep 5)
The festival offers more than 130 exhibitions and events covering a wide selection of artworks by local and international artists.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Military Tattoo – (Aug 7 – Aug 29)
The Tattoo is the prime event of the Edinburgh Art Festival. You may have seen this on television before but it’s no comparison to seeing it live. Watch the Castle change colour from red to blue to green…., and when that lone piper plays ‘Amazing Grace’ from the top of Edinburgh Castle, it sends shivers down your spine!
Edinburgh International Festival (Aug 14 – Sep 6)
Lovers of classical music, theatre, opera and dance will love this three week festival, one of the most important cultural celebrations in the world. The Festival was established in 1947 “to provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit” after the devastation of World War II and is just as needed in today’s world.
Edinburgh International Book Festival (Aug 15 – Aug 31)
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is the largest Book Festival of its kind, with over 700 world-class writers and thinkers taking part in more than 800 events. What’s great about this Festival is that everything at the Book Festival takes place in one, central location – you don’t have to run all over town to see what’s on offer. A magical tented village is being created in a beautiful New Town square, creating a unique Festival environment.
Wasn”t that exhausting!
- If you’re contemplating visiting Scotland this summer, Travel Signposts Scotland photos show you what places are really like.
- For your choice of Edinburgh festival accommodation, check out our Hotel Comparison Guide which will find you the best deals on offer in a matter of seconds.
- Blend your Festival visit with interesting day trips of Edinburgh and beyond.
Comment by Jon
After a recent long weekend trip to Edinburgh I would definitely recommend anyone to visit the city as during our stay (4 days) we spent each day visiting the sights and still went away at the end not being able to visit all the attractions we wanted to. The castle, many attractions, shops and restaurants are excellent – highly recommend St Mary’s Close attraction, which was very informative of the way the poorer folk once lived. The one attraction we really wanted to do was Edinburgh Zoo but ended up saving that for our next visit, which might end up being a blessing in disguise as there is a chance they will be getting a pair of giant Pandas from China later in the year.