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Edinburgh ARTICLES

The Edinburgh Festival

29th August 2008

By MELANY KARRMICHAEL

If you are planning on visiting Edinburgh in August, please book your holiday well in advance as August in Edinburgh means "the Festival". Over half a million people visit the city around this time for the Military Tattoo, the International Film Festival, the Fringe, the Book Festival and the Jazz & Blues Festival. Every conceivable space is turned into a stage for all manner of performances. Parties, parades, the traditional and the unexpected all meet on the streets of Edinburgh to make up what is now the largest festival of arts in the world.

Established in 1947 in an attempt to raise spirits during the post-war era, where many cities were devastated and food rationing was still common, the Edinburgh International Festival was so successful in it's lavishness that it's popularity has grown from year to year. For the first few years, opera was the main focus of the Festival, but the spectrum of entertainment eventually widened to include dance, ballet, comedy, theatre and musical.

Films by famous directors such as Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen have premiered at the International Film Festival. Although it began by screening documentary films, it quickly expanded to include both popular and arthouse movies and since the Festival's relaunch in 1995, it has been broken down into four main sections - British talent, world premieres, film study and major retrospective. Showings are primarily screened at The Filmhouse on Lothian Road.

The world famous Military Tattoo has been running since 1950 and is as popular as ever. It runs for three weeks and temporary stands are erected on the Esplanade to accommodate about 200,000 visitors. Every year, musicians and bands from all over the world are invited to participate in the Tattoo as well as in the Jazz & Blues Festival. In addition to all the other spectacular entertainment, there is also a free, open-air Mardi Gras day in the Grassmarket on the opening Saturday.

The Book Festival is a real treat for studious academics and has in fact became so popular that it has been a regular event since 1998. A small village of marquees is erected in the beautiful Georgian surroundings of Charlotte Square Gardens. This temporary village is the base for book-related events and talks by a variety of Scottish and international authors covering everything from cookbooks to children's stories.

The grand finale of the Festival - a magnificent fireworks display at the Castle - is not to be missed and attracts a crowd of some 250,000 spectators. The lucky few with tickets for the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens are also able to experience the Fireworks Concert by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.