The Festival countdown begins

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Launch 2024

The countdown to Edinburgh’s August festivals is on. Many will have seen the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme available to pick up at locations across the city, and copies are now available in towns and cities across the UK and promoted globally as Scotland’s capital becomes the world’s cultural mecca.

Also available online; the programme lists nearly every show in the 2024 festival line-up, which is more accessible to audiences than ever. Indeed, as well as a dedicated ticketing service for those requiring access requirements, the Fringe is working with Deaf Action to provide British Sign Language interpretation at the Fringe street events. They are also making available sensory resources for children and adults who might find the festival environment overwhelming.

Edinburgh International Festival and Book Festival are also more accessible than ever, and box offices remain available to cater for as many needs as possible.

Programmes for both of these festivals are now available too. Big names such as Margaret Atwood, Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, Elif Shafik, and Salman Rushdie will be taking the book festival stage.

In the International Festival, Edinburgh Festival Chorus are performing Mendelssohn's arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bath’s St Matthew Passion as one of the opening concerts. One of the world’s greatest living pianists Yuja Wang will also perform in the opening days.

As both Edinburgh Central MSP and Scotland’s Culture Secretary, I am hugely looking forward to attending as much of all festivals as I can, as well as seeing Edinburgh do what it does best – play host to the world.

The Festival countdown begins - Angus Robertson

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