The Edinburgh International Festival

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Every August, the Edinburgh International Festival transforms one of the world's most beautiful cities, presenting three exhilarating weeks of the finest creators and performers from the worlds of the arts - for everyone.

Edinburgh's six major theatres and concert halls, a few smaller venues and often some unconventional ones too, come alive with the best classical music, theatre, opera, dance and visual art from around the globe.
The Edinburgh International Festival has been connecting audiences and artists for over sixty years.

Founded in 1947, the Festival grew out of the rubble of the Second World War with the aim of providing 'a platform for the flowering of the human spirit'. This belief in the power of the arts to nurture and transform lies at the heart of the Festival's mission today.

The Festival inspired people to put on shows of their own right from the start, and these grew into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Since then more festivals have grown up around it in August and early September, as well as at other times of year. There are now 12 major annual festivals in Edinburgh, the Festival City.

The Edinburgh International Festival was the first of its kind. Today there are major festivals around the world modeled on the Edinburgh International Festival and the extraordinary experiences it creates for both audiences and artists.