Edinburgh Festivals 2008
Here are some of the highlights from the various festivals happening in Edinburgh in 2008
Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
Edinburgh Art Festival
Edinburgh Mela Festival
Sunday 3 August 2008
Performers from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and a variety of Fringe shows march through the streets of central Edinburgh in front of around 175,000 spectators from 2.30pm.
Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade 2008
9 - 25 August 2008
Over 800 authors from more than 40 countries are taking part in over 700 events including in the 25th year of the world's biggest book festival. EIBF forms the centrepiece of Edinburgh as the world's first UNESCO City of Literature with highlights that include:
- Simon Callow talks about his new biography about Orson Welles (15 August)
- Alex James talks about life in indie band Blur (9 August)
- Will Self talks about his new book, The Butt (24 August)
Edinburgh International Book Festival 2008.
8 - 31 August 2008
This year's festival has a truly international flavour with artists coming from many Eastern European countries including Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Georgia, juxtaposed with work from Lebaneese, Turkish, Israeli, Palestinian and Iranian performers. Highlights for Festival 08 include:
- Giselle, performed by the State Ballet of Georgia featuring Nina Ananiashvili with music by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
- Jidariyya, a play adapted from a poem by Mahmoud Darwish and performed by the Palestinian National Theatre
- Mortal Engine, a dance production by contemporary Australian dance group Chunky Move
The Edinburgh International Festival 2008.
3 - 25 August 2008
The 2008 Fringe will see 18,000 artists giving 31,000 performances at 247 venues across Edinburgh. Highlights include
- Fringe Sunday, 10 August on the Meadows
Free performances of hundreds of Fringe shows
- Royal Bank on the Royal Mile, 1-31 August
The central section of the Royal Mile is transformed in to a street theatre with buskers, acrobats, fire eaters for the duration fo the festival
- Dance Base presents
Programme of dance events for all ages at Scotland's National Centre of Dance
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2008.
25 July - 3 August 2008
The annual Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival features the best in jazz and blues music across all styles of the genres.
This year the festival received an award from the Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund, which supports new productions, events or exhibitions involving Scottish-based participants that premiere at any of the Edinburgh festivals. The fund also supports touring of events or performances after their festival premiere, to allow these to reach new audiences. Maeve Gilchrist's performance will form part of this expo, the single largest showcase of Scottish work and artists ever mounted.
The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 2008.
31 July - 31 August 2008
The Edinburgh Art Festival, now in it's fifth year, showcases some of the world's most imaginative visual artists. This year's prgramme includes over 50 exhibitions and over 120 associated events and highlights include:
- Tracey Emin, '20 years' a retrospective of one of Britain's most celebrated and controversial artists
- Richard Hamilton, 'Protest Pictures' an exhibition examining Hamilton's portrayal of political actions, movements and figures
- The Golden Record at Collective gollery is an exhibition that is a contemporary remake of the records included with the two Voyager spacecraft;
View highlights of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2008.
25 - 31 August 2008
The Edinburgh Mela is a leading celebration of cultural diversity in Scotland. The 2008 programme of events in Leith involves performers from Africa, South America and Asia involved in theatre, music, dance, film and fashion
View highlights of The Edinburgh Mela Festival 2008 |