It's a show like no other. The Edinburgh International Festival celebrates its 75th anniversary this year as it once again brings world cultures together with a programme defined by international partnerships and bold collaborations that span continents, generations and genres.
Returning to Edinburgh’s theatres and concert halls at a scale not seen since 2019, 14 venues will host 87 events and over 160 performances from over 2,300 artists – once again turning the capital into a global celebration of world-class music, opera, dance and theatre.
This year is also Fergus Linehan’s last as Festival director before violinist Nicola Benedetti takes up the role in October.
The 2022 International Festival also pilots a number of artistic residencies as part of ongoing work to make the event more sustainable by reducing the amount of travel required.
Highlights of the programme include:
• MACRO – a spectacular free opening event at BT Murrayfield featuring Australian contemporary circus powerhouse Gravity & Other Myths, First Nations dance company Djuki Mala, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, and Scottish musicians including Aidan O’Rourke, Brìghde Chaimbeul and Kathleen MacInnes.
• A contemporary dance programme featuring Akram Khan’s new Jungle Book Reimagined which reinvents the journey of Mowgli through the eyes of a climate refugee.
• A new production of Dvořák’s best-loved opera, the dark fairy tale Rusalka, featuring Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw in the title role. It is conducted by Douglas Boyd, artistic director of Garsington Opera and performed with one of the 2022 International Festival resident orchestras, the Philharmonia Orchestra.
• The world premiere of Scottish Ballet’s Coppélia, reinvented for the digital age by UK choreographers Jess and Morgs with a blend of location and real-time filming, projection and live performance.
• The National Theatre of Scotland’s return to the International Festival with Alan Cumming in his solo dance theatre debut Burn, inspired by the life of Robert Burns.
The Edinburgh International Festival runs from August 5-28 and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 5-29.
www.eif.co.uk, www.edfringe.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here