Edinburgh International Festival is the Original Festival, establishing the city's reputation as the world's Festival City. It has served as a window to the world since 1947, when its founder, cultural pioneer and refugee Rudolf Bing, set out to bring artist from across the world together in a spirit of post-war reconciliation.

Eight decades on, the Festival’s mission remains the same; to bring the deepest experience of the highest quality art to the broadest possible audience. The Festival is led by Nicola Benedetti, one of the most influential classical artists of today. Its vision is to act as a beacon for creativity and curiosity, uniting people through the arts and offering year-round access to live performance for all ages and backgrounds.

Each year it presents a hand-picked programme of theatre, music, dance and opera over three weeks in August. More than 2,000 artists from over 40 countries take part, alongside thinkers presenting contemporary perspectives and a vision for the future. The Festival has presented some of the world’s most recognised artists and thinkers including recently Berlin Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra, Gordon Brown, Sir Antonio Pappano, Brian Cox, Jack Lowden, Netherlands Dans Theatre, Scottish Ballet and Akram Khan Company.

Image credit: Andrew Perry, Edinburgh International Festival