Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Festival City
August in Edinburgh sees a frenzy of festivals, with half-a-dozen world-class events running at the same time.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
First held in 1947 to mark a return to peace after the ordeal of WWII, the
Edinburgh International Festival
(
0131-473 2099;
www.eif.co.uk
)
is festooned with superlatives - the oldest, the biggest, the most famous, the best
in the world. The original was a modest affair, but today hundreds of the world's top musicians and performers con-
gregate in Edinburgh for three weeks of diverse and inspirational music, opera, theatre and dance.
The festival takes place over the three weeks ending on the first Saturday in September; the program is usually
available from April. Tickets for popular events - especially music and opera - sell out quickly, so it's best to book
as far in advance as possible. You can buy tickets in person at the
Hub
(
01131-473 2000;
www.thehub-ed-
inburgh.com
; Castlehill; admission free;
ticket centre 10am-5pm Mon-Sat)
, or by phone or internet.
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
When the first Edinburgh Festival was held in 1947, there were eight theatre companies who didn't make it onto the
main programme. Undeterred, they grouped together and held their own mini-festival, on the fringe, and an Edin-
burgh institution was born. Today the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
( 0131-226 0026;
www.edfringe.com
;
180 High St)
is the biggest festival of the performing arts anywhere in the world.
The Fringe takes place over 3½ weeks, the last two weeks overlapping with the first two of the Edinburgh Inter-
national Festival.
Information
Internet Resources
Edinburgh & Lothians Tourist Board
(
www.edinburgh.org
)
Official tourist-board site, with listings of accommoda-
tion, sights, activities and events.
Edinburgh Architecture
(
www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
)
Informative site dedicated to the city's modern archi-
tecture.
Edinburgh Festival Guide
(
www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk
)
Everything you need to know about Edinburgh's many
festivals.
Medical Services
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