seizing the mood to rejuvenate
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Edinburgh Festivals seize the opportunity to make an enduring impression.
There is a palpable sense that this year’s Festivals have a renewed importance for the identity of Edinburgh. Richard Holloway, the former bishop of Edinburgh and this year's guest director for the book festival believes the Festivals can "show that Scotland has always been about more than engineers and bankers". International Festival artistic director Jonathan Mills believes this year with "help Edinburgh regain its sense of purpose, confidence and its place in the world".
It seems as though these predictions are coming true. International Festival tickets are at last year’s numbers and defying expectations, the fringe has also grown again this year, with around 34,000 performers in 2,098 shows at 265 venues. Ticket sales are also up 20%. The Edinburgh International Book Festival is also enjoying comfortable levels of ticket sales. And as for those roadworks: "Edinburgh is not going to look like Disneyland this year," said Mills, "but it is going to be a great and vibrant festival city. It is not going to be pristine – but it's certainly going to have a vibe."
________________________________________________________________
