Edinburgh Festival 2021: will the Fringe and International Festival be cancelled again this year?

The Edinburgh International Festival was a digital affair in 2020 (Getty Images)

There are few better places to be in August than Edinburgh when laughter, cold lager and warm weather are par for the course.

Sadly, 2020 was devoid of such joys as the Covid pandemic put a pause on fun, with festival organisers forced to pull the plug on the world’s largest arts festival.

The past year has made even the most optimistic among us sceptical of any promises of joy on the horizon, but organisers are pushing ahead with plans to bring the festival back to the capital this August.

Here’s everything you need to know about preparations for the 2021 festival season.

What are the plans for the 2021 Edinburgh festival season?

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Organisers have yet to commit to a format for the event, but currently the plan is to hold the comedy event from August 6 to 30.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic Fringe planners are holding back on unveiling firm plans for the festival.

Edinburgh Festival City said: “it’s still too early to say exactly what the festival will look like at this stage, and with the situation changing so rapidly, it wouldn’t be sensible or fair to speculate at the moment.”

Organisers are preparing for a number of different scenarios from “socially distanced live performances” to “hybrid digital and live performances”.

Edinburgh International Festival

Details for a potential return of the International Festival are thin on the ground.

The Festival however is optimistic that the festival will go ahead this Summer and is working closely with local authorities and the Scottish Government.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Tickets are on sale for the event which will go ahead as normal albeit at a reduced capacity.

A statement from organisers read: “We were originally born out of the Second World War with the aims of raising morale after dark times, entertaining and bringing people together and will continue to uphold these original values, committing to next year’s event and giving fans of the Show near and far something to look forward to.”

Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Book Festival is slated for an August 16 to August 30 run.

The festival will relocate from Charlotte Square to the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place.

Full programme and event details will be unveiled at the end of June.