Edinburgh International Festival

The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland over three weeks around the end of August. The International Festival invites top class performers of opera, theatre, music (especially classical music) and dance from around the world to perform.

Related Topics:
Performing arts - Edinburgh - Scotland - August - Opera - Theatre - Music - Classical music - Dance

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A number of other festivals take place in Edinburgh at about the same time, most notably the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which started as an offshoot of the International Festival and has since grown to be the world's largest arts festival. Unlike the Fringe, performance at the International Festival is by invitation only, issued by the Festival Director (currently Sir Brian McMaster). See Edinburgh Festival for detals of the other festivals.

Related Topics:
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Edinburgh Festival

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The first International Festival (and the first Festival Fringe, although it wasn't known as such until later) took place in 1947, in the wake of the Second World War, with an optimistic remit to 'provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit' and enrich the cultural life of Scotland, Britain and Europe. The festivals have taken place every August since. The dates for the next few International Festivals are as follow:

Related Topics:
1947 - Second World War

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• 2005 - 14 August - 3 September
• 2006 - 13 August - 2 September
• 2007 - 12 August - 2 September
• 2008 - 10 August - 31 August
• 2009 - 16 August - 6 September

In 1999, the International Festival moved to a permanent home in The Hub, formerly 'The Highland Tolbooth' - an architecturally remarkable building a couple of minutes' walk from Edinburgh Castle, originally built as an assembly house for the Church of Scotland. Its gothic spire is the highest point in central Edinburgh, and can be seen for many miles around.

Related Topics:
1999 - The Hub - Edinburgh Castle - Gothic

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The Festival aims to cover its costs every year. The total budget for the 2004 Festival was £6.8 million, covered by a combination of ticket sales (27%) and other earned income - broadcast fees, publications and so on (4%); sponsorship & donations (27%); and public grants (42%, mostly from the City of Edinburgh Council). Almost 335,000 people attended EIF events in 2004. 60% of these were Scottish, another 26% came from the rest of Britain, 14% came from overseas.

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Besides the performances during the Festival itself, a range of education and outreach workshops, talks and lectures take place throughout the year.

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Edinburgh International Festival: External links ►