Edinburgh International Festival facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Edinburgh International Festival
Nicola Benedetti, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival from 2023
Date(s)	2024: 5–28 August (exact dates vary each year)
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Edinburgh, Scotland
Inaugurated	1947
Patron(s)	Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1947–1952) Queen Elizabeth II (1952–2017) Prince Edward (2017–present)

The Edinburgh International Festival is a big arts festival held every year in Edinburgh, Scotland. It takes place for three weeks in August. Famous people from all over the world, especially in classical music and performing arts, are invited to perform. You can also see art shows, listen to talks, and join workshops.

The very first festival, called the 'International Festival of Music and Drama', happened from August 22 to September 11, 1947. Its first director was Rudolf Bing. The festival included many different types of performances. There was orchestral music, singing, opera, ballet, plays, films, and even Scottish piping and dancing. This mix of arts became a tradition for future festivals.

The festival has happened every year since 1947. The only time it was cancelled was in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, a smaller version of the festival took place.

Festival Leaders
How the Festival Started
What You Can See at the Festival
Festival Locations
Other Festivals in Edinburgh
See also

Festival Leaders

The festival has had many different directors over the years. These people help decide what shows and artists will be part of the festival.

1947–1949: Sir Rudolf Bing, an opera expert who later managed the Metropolitan Opera.
1950–1955: Sir Ian Hunter, a British expert in classical music.
1956–1960: Robert Ponsonby, a British music organizer and BBC programmer.
1961–1965: George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, a British opera organizer.
1966–1978: Peter Diamand, an arts organizer born in Berlin.
1979–1983: Sir John Drummond, a British arts organizer and BBC Radio 3 Controller.
1984–1991: Frank Dunlop, a British theatre director.
1992–2006: Sir Brian McMaster, a British arts organizer.
October 2006–2014: Sir Jonathan Mills, an Australian composer and arts organizer.
October 2014–2022: Fergus Linehan, an Irish theatre and music organizer.
October 2022–: Nicola Benedetti, a famous Scottish-Italian violinist.

How the Festival Started

The idea for the Edinburgh International Festival came about after World War II. People wanted to create a festival that would "help the human spirit grow" and make the cultural life of Scotland, Britain, and Europe richer.

The main idea came from Rudolf Bing, who managed the Glyndebourne Opera Festival. He believed the festival could help heal the sadness of war through art. This was the main reason it was created.

The first money for the festival came from Lord Rosebery. He used £10,000 he won from his horse, Ocean Swell, in a race. The city of Edinburgh then added the same amount of money. The Arts Council of Great Britain also helped with funding.

Rudolf Bing looked at several cities in England before choosing Edinburgh. He had visited Edinburgh in 1939 and liked it very much. The city's castle reminded him of Salzburg, where he had directed a festival before the war.

One of the festival's founders, Harvey Wood, explained how the idea began. He said they discussed it in London in 1944. Bing thought that after the war, big music and opera festivals wouldn't happen in damaged cities for a long time. He wanted to create a festival in the UK that would become a world center for art lovers.

Wood said a good city for the festival needed to be:

A reasonable size, able to host many visitors.
Beautiful and scenic, like Salzburg.
In a country attractive to tourists.
Have enough theatres and concert halls.
Most importantly, a city that would truly welcome the festival.

Wood suggested Edinburgh, and the city's leader, John Falconer, was very excited about the idea. Since it was too late to plan for 1946, they decided to hold the first festival in 1947.

What You Can See at the Festival

The first festival ran from August 22 to September 11, 1947. For many years, it took place across August and September. But since 2015, it starts and ends in August, at the same time as the Fringe.

Bruno Walter, a famous conductor, performed at the festival in 1947, 1949, and 1953.

Classical Music

From the very beginning, classical music was a big part of the festival. A special moment in the first year was when the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra played. They were reunited with their old conductor, Bruno Walter, who had left Europe in 1938.

Many famous musicians performed at the festival in its early years. These included conductors like Wilhelm Furtwängler and John Barbirolli. Pianists like Artur Schnabel and violinists like Joseph Szigeti also played.

Newer stars of music, like conductors Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein, also performed. Pianists like Claudio Arrau and violinists like Yehudi Menuhin were also there.

The conductor John Barbirolli performed at seven festivals between 1947 and 1966.

In later decades, even more famous artists came to Edinburgh. These included conductors like Pierre Boulez and Claudio Abbado. Soloists like pianists Alfred Brendel and Marta Argerich, and string players Jacqueline du Pré and Itzhak Perlman also performed. Many great artists from the Soviet Union, like pianist Sviatoslav Richter and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, also visited.

Opera

Opera was always an important part of the Edinburgh Festival. The city didn't have its own opera company to create new shows. So, guest opera companies from other places were invited to perform.

In the first few years, the Glyndebourne Opera company came and brought two shows each year. Later, companies like the Hamburg State Opera and La Scala from Italy performed. Many different opera companies from around the world visited Edinburgh.

The King's Theatre in 1981. This theatre was used for opera in the early years of the festival.

Famous conductors like Claudio Abbado and Georg Solti led the operas. Well-known directors like Franco Zeffirelli also worked on the productions.

Many star singers performed in the operas. These included sopranos like Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. Tenors like Luciano Pavarotti and Nicolai Gedda also sang on stage.

Ballet

Ballet shows also started at the festival from the very beginning. The famous The Sleeping Beauty was performed by the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company. The famous dancers Margot Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann were in it.

Margot Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann in The Sleeping Beauty in 1950.

Other ballet companies from Paris, New York, Spain, and Denmark also performed.

Drama (Plays)

Plays were a very important part of the Edinburgh International Festival from its start. The The Old Vic Theatre Company, a famous British group, gave strong support to the festival. Other important British companies like the Royal Shakespeare Company also performed.

One of the festival's first big successes was a play called The Thrie Estaites. It was performed in 1948 for the first time since 1552!

Theatre groups from all over the world came to Edinburgh. These included companies from France, Italy, Canada, Greece, Russia, Poland, the USA, Japan, and many other countries.

Frank Dunlop, a theatre director, also directed the festival from 1984 to 1991.

Famous directors like Tyrone Guthrie and Frank Dunlop brought their plays to the city. Well-known actors like John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, and Ian McKellen also performed.

Visual Arts (Art Exhibitions)

Art exhibitions became a key part of the festival from 1949. Major art shows were held at the Scottish National Gallery and Royal Scottish Academy.

These exhibitions featured works by very famous artists. For example, there were shows of paintings by Rembrandt, El Greco, Goya, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Braque.

Later, exhibitions included art by Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and Delacroix. The festival also showed art from different countries and time periods, like Byzantine Art and Czech Art.

World Premieres

Many new works of art have been shown for the very first time at the Edinburgh International Festival. This is called a "world premiere." For example, famous plays by T. S. Eliot had their first performances here in 1949 and 1953. More recently, new music by James MacMillan also had its world premiere at the festival in 2019.

Festival Locations

The Usher Hall is a main concert hall used by the Edinburgh International Festival.

The main places where the festival events happen are:

Usher Hall: A large concert hall built in 1914, used since 1947. It can hold about 2,200 people.
Kings Theatre: Opened in 1906, used for plays and operas since 1947. It holds about 1,300 people. It is currently closed for repairs.
Royal Lyceum Theatre: Opened in 1883, used for plays since 1947. It holds 658 people.
Festival Theatre: This theatre dates back to 1892. It was first used for ballet by the festival in 1947. It was updated in 1994 and now hosts opera and ballet. It holds 1,915 people.
The Queen's Hall: A former chapel that became a concert hall in 1979. It holds 920 people and is home to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
The Hub: This building was originally a church built in 1842. It has a very tall Gothic spire. Since 1999, it has been the main ticket office and information center for the festival. It also hosts performances and holds 420 people.
The Dunard Centre: A brand new concert hall that is expected to open in 2024 or 2025. It will hold 1,000 people.

Interior of the Queen's Hall, where the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs.

Other places that have been used for the festival in the past include:

Church Hill Theatre: Built in 1892, used by the city since 1960.
The Edinburgh Playhouse: Opened in 1929, it's Britain's largest theatre, holding 3,059 people.
Freemasons' Hall: Opened in 1912, used for music concerts and recitals from 1947.
Gateway Theatre: Used for plays, but now student housing.
General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland: Used for plays from 1949.
Leith Theatre: Used for concerts from 1961 to the late 1970s. It is now being restored.
St Cecilia's Hall: A historic concert hall from 1763, holding 180 people.

Freemasons' Hall in Edinburgh was often used for music concerts from 1947 to the early 1970s.

Other Festivals in Edinburgh

About ten other festivals happen in Edinburgh around the same time as the International Festival. Together, they are often called the Edinburgh Festivals.

The most famous of these is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It started in the very first year of the International Festival as a smaller, unofficial event. Now, it has grown to be the biggest arts and media festival in the world!

The Edinburgh International Film Festival also began in August 1947, showing documentary films. It later moved to June. The Edinburgh International Book Festival also started from a writers' festival in 1966 and now takes place in August.

The British Army wanted to show off during the festival, so they started the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1950. This event features piping and dancing displays. It's organized separately but is seen as part of the official festival.

Because of all these festivals, Edinburgh in August has more than 2,500 performances and events every single day. It's said to be much bigger than any other group of arts festivals anywhere in the world!