Edinburgh International Festival is one of the world’s most important arts festivals. It is held every August in Edinburgh, Scotland. The festival features opera companies, symphony orchestras, dance companies, theater companies, and chamber groups from many countries. Scottish performers also play a significant role in the festival.
Several other festivals run in Edinburgh at the same time as the International Festival. The most popular is the Edinburgh Fringe. Thousands of artists perform at the Fringe in small theaters and on the streets of the city. Along with the Fringe, Edinburgh is host to a film festival, a jazz festival, and a book festival. A colorful military tattoo featuring massed bagpipe bands is also presented in the courtyard of Edinburgh Castle.
The International Festival opened in 1947 to create a “stage” for peace and unity in Europe after the end of World War II (1939-1945). The Fringe developed the same year when eight theater companies arrived, uninvited, to create an alternative to the main International Festival. Today, the combined festivals have become one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions and a major boost to the Scottish economy. In addition, many artists and performing companies have been discovered at the Fringe and gone on to successful careers.
See also Edinburgh.
