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Edinburgh International Festival

The Edinburgh International Festival returns from 1st to 24th August 2025 with live performance throughout the city.

Edinburgh International Festival

About Edinburgh International Festival

1st Aug 2025 to 24th Aug 2025
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Various Locations Edinburgh
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Event organiser/part of Edinburgh International Festival
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For three weeks in August, Scotland’s capital becomes an unparalleled celebration of the performing arts and an annual meeting point for people of all nations. The International Festival presents a programme featuring the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre.

Our impact extends beyond the annual programme: our community learning and engagement and professional development programmes run throughout the year, reaching the widest possible audiences and contributing to the cultural and social life of Edinburgh and Scotland.

The 2025 Festival invites audiences to examine their relationship with truth through a curated programme of music, dance, theatre and opera. The pursuit of truth is an essential part of being human, but today this search for meaning is precarious, fractured and abused. Through the lens of this year’s theme The Truth We Seek, the International Festival presents contemporary reflections on the world alongside time-honoured tales, a place where fact meets faith and fiction. 

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Other Events at Various Venues or Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh International Festival: Ryan Wang

18th August 2025

Ryan Wang, BBC Young Musician of the Year winner, takes on an all-Chopin programme that showcases extraordinary mastery of the piano.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Shostakovich Inside Out

18th August 2025

Explore Dmitri Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony as Aurora Orchestra unpacks its drama, depth and defiance.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Dementia Friendly Concert

19th August 2025

New to the International Festival this year, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs familiar repertoire for people with dementia and their loved ones.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Belcea Quartet

20th August 2025

Revitalising and transforming chamber music from the 18th and 19th centuries, Belcea Quartet's provocative recital spans Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Breaking Bach

20th August 2025

Discover Johann Sebastian Bach from a fresh perspective in this world premiere where classical music meets hip hop and contemporary dance!

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Edinburgh International Festival: As You Like It A Radical Retelling

20th August 2025 - 23rd August 2025

Encounter Cliff Cardinal's radical reimagining of Shakespeare's classic in this unapologetic production at Church Hill Theatre!

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Edinburgh International Festival: Faustus in Africa!

20th August 2025 - 23rd August 2025

Through puppetry and animation, Handspring Puppet Company reimagine Faust's downfall and reframe the classic tale to confront colonialism and the climate emergency.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Dunedin Consort & John Butt

21st August 2025

This leading baroque ensemble revives Handel's sparkling comic cantata, unearthing the origins of his operatic masterpieces.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Bernstein & Stravinsky

21st August 2025

Conductor Karina Canellakis returns to the Festival and leads the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (SSO) through a monumental programme featuring Messiaen, Stravinsky and Bernstein.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Emily D’Angelo & Sophia Muñoz

22nd August 2025

Join mezzo soprano Emily D'Angelo and pianist Sophia Muñoz for a programme of epic scope that explores humanity's connection to the natural world.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Pictures at an Exhibition

22nd August 2025

Take a whistlestop round-the-world trip with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and William Barton at the Usher Hall on Friday 22nd August!

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Edinburgh International Festival: Figures in Extinction

22nd August 2025 - 24th August 2025

Dance and theatre legends Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney unite with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) to confront the climate crisis through spellbinding movement and sound.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Leonidas Kavakos & ApollΩn Ensemble

23rd August 2025

Johann Sebastian Bach’s violin concertos shine in this electrifying performance with soloist and ensemble in synergy.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Come and Sing Elijah

23rd August 2025

Join fellow singers in a full-day workshop, culminating in a performance of highlights from Mendelssohn's epic Elijah.

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Edinburgh International Festival: Closing Concert: Mendelssohn’s Elijah

24th August 2025

In this Closing Concert, discover Felix Mendelssohn's triumphant oratorio anew as the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and Royal Scottish National Orchestra breathe life into his most famous work.

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Sponsored Links

Wonder & Co
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TGC Leisure
Link
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The Ivy
Guide Dogs
Red String Agency
Open Pass Scotland
Fayre Play
Escape The Past
Edinburgh Dungeon

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