Why Edinburgh’s August festivals should have been cancelled sooner – Helen Martin

The coronavirus outbreak was always going to force the cancellation of Edinburgh festival, writes Helen Martin.

fringe: Australian circus troupe ‘Casus’ celebrate the last week of 2019’s event (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA)

MANY aspects of battling the coronavirus have had a late kick-off, whether that’s acquiring ventilators, locking down, testing, banning flights, closing pubs and dozens of other essential moves.

One thing that should have been done much earlier was the cancellation of Edinburgh’s summer festivals.

Yes, it’s a bit of a shame after 70 years. But only those who believe Covid-19 will be history by June/July can seriously regret the closure. Scotland and the UK’s contagion and deaths are still climbing, as are those of other parts of the world.

When they reach the peak and really begin to drop, it will still be a long time until life gets back to normal, or as close to “normal” as possible. The one temptation we will have to block is rapidly re-opening businesses and gatherings too early which will cause another wave of the virus hitting those who escaped it the first time round. The most optimistic timescale might be at least 12 weeks, and some specific virus rules such as the tenant eviction ban extend to six months.

It will take until at least the middle of next year for the coronavirus vaccines being investigated to be tested, produced in mass quantities and delivered around the world.

Of course, many Capital businesses looked forward to the festival period as their biggest profit time. The same would have applied to my self-employed son, a designer specialising in hospitality, entertainment, pub and restaurant chains and tourism centres. Along with “businesses”, extra bar staff, summer employees, restaurant suppliers, tour guides... oh, the list of beneficiaries is endless.

A Baltic cruise booked for October

But the most deadly boost of Covid-19 in Scotland would have come with millions of national and overseas tourists arriving in the Capital, packing the streets and venues along with the rest of us and staying in family-run B&Bs and having close contact with hotel staff. Our people staying alive is rather more important than salaries and profits (as the Tory government finally accepted). For those who, for some reason I cannot fathom, believed the Festival and Fringe was going ahead, bookings, plans, flights and reservations may have already been made. Will they have pre-paid for anything, will they have deposits returned and will anyone they dealt with now have the finances to reimburse them? Have all the plans that have already been carried out for performances, the Tattoo and anything else been pointless? Or will they just shift forward to 2021?

No-one right now can rely on something they’ve committed to happening later this year. We have a time-share week for end of April to early May in Aviemore cancelled. We have a Baltic cruise booked for October... not something we’d have much faith in now. I have a medical procedure timed for mid-June, which I find unlikely. And a hospital ward drip in August (maybe or maybe not).

Scott Monument to be a climbing wall?!

When once I moaned about trams and some other council plans, I couldn’t care less about any of that now. If George Street became a cycle race track, Princes Street Gardens a giant swimming pool and the Scott Monument a climbing wall... well, all that I’d revolt against in future.

All that matters today, and in the next few months, is saving lives. Once we are all safer, regaining employment, re-starting businesses and coping with local needs and customers again, it may well be that in 2021 summer or Christmas Festivals will resume giving the city a well-timed boom.

So, am I upset that this year’s summer Festivals are cancelled? No, cancellation was absolutely necessary.