Edinburgh Festival highlights to include theatre premiere starring Brian Cox

This year’s Edinburgh International Festival offers a wide range of performances across multiples genres.

Featuring more than 1,700 artists from 42 countries, including 600 from Scotland, the festival line-up has something for fans of all sectors of the arts.

Highlights include a world premiere of theatre production Make it Happen, based on Scotland’s role in the 2008 financial crisis. It stars Brian Cox and Sandy Grierson, and was written by renowned playwright James Graham.

A ballet telling the story of Mary, Queen of Scots will also feature, with choreography by Sophie Laplane which blends classicism with modernity.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, a renowned assortment of singers from around the country, which will perform the festival’s opening concert as well as Vaughan Williams’s Sea Symphony, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

The Big Singalong will take place from the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, and will be free to attend. It will be led by Stephen Deazley, Edinburgh’s Love Music Community Choir director.

Norwegian folk group Barokksolistene will return to the festival to lead The Ceilidh Sessions, an afternoon of music and storytelling inspired by Gaelic ceilidhs.

There are more Polish artists at this year’s festival than ever before, including a concert by the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, and a showcase of artists from the Wroclaw Baroque Ensemble.

Key operatic works include a staged Australian reimagining of Gluck’s Orpheus And Eurydice, and the UK premiere of Book Of Mountains And Seas by Chinese composer Huang Ruo.

For the first time, a dementia-friendly concert will feature at the festival.

The performance by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in association with Alzheimer Scotland aims to allow those who have dementia to enjoy a performance in a relaxed and flexible environment.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Edinburgh International Festival has stood as a global celebration of the performing arts and their power to bridge cultural and national differences since 1947.

“That role is as relevant as ever, so I very much welcome the festival’s commitment to affordability and accessibility in this year’s programme.

“The international festival is where it all began for Edinburgh’s festivals, so whether you are coming from near or far, I encourage everyone to enjoy the best of what Scotland and the world has to offer, across the genres of classical and contemporary music, dance, theatre and visual art.

“The Scottish Government’s Expo fund is designed to help showcase Scottish artists and our festivals to the world, and I’m very proud to continue that support with £80,000 for this year’s international festival.”

Dana MacLeod, Creative Scotland’s executive director of arts, communities and inclusion, said: “Congratulations to the international festival team for this imaginative programme, which brings important conversations by world-leading artists and extraordinary creative experiences for audiences to the capital city.

“Borne out of a belief in the power of the arts to connect and provide hope in a divided world, the international festival’s original ethos remains true today, with international and homegrown talent presenting stimulating work, reflecting and celebrating the world we inhabit.

“A long-time supporter, Creative Scotland is happy to have been able to confirm a funding commitment to the international festival for the next three years.”