Taking place (almost) every August, the Edinburgh International Festival is a celebration of culture that sees notable artists from the world of music and performing arts invited to showcase their work in the Scottish Capital.
The first event, then called the 'International Festival of Music and Drama' took place in 1947, with Austrian-born impresario Rudolf Bing acting as festival director and head of programming.
It featured orchestral, choral and chamber music, Lieder and song, opera, ballet, drama, film, and Scottish 'piping and dancing' on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.
It has taken place every year since, other than 2020 when it was completely cancelled due to the global pandemic.
The original idea for the Festival was to enrich cultural life following the Second World War, and it was first financed by £10,000 in winnings that Lord Rosebery made from his horse Ocean Swell - a sum that was matched by Edinburgh Town Council.
Since then it has grown in strength, and is joined by a number of other festivals during August, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival and, most notably, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
This year’s programme was launched today (Wednesday, March 11) by Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, with tickets on sale to members from Thursday, March 19, and to the general public from Thursday, March 26.
The Scotsman’s team of critics have been casting a discerning eye over the programme and here are 10 of their top tips.
You can read all of their reactions to the programme below, before booking tickets here.
9. Opera: The Galloping Cure
Staged at the Festival Theatre from August 9-12, Opera Ventures Productions and Scottish Opera are presenting the world premiere of their "bold new opera for the opioid age". A fairground ride provides an allegory for the global opiod addiction epidemic. | EIF
10. Classical music: Berliner Philharmoniker
The prestigious Berliner Philharmoniker will be performing two concerts at this year's Edinburgh International Festival at the Usher Hall. First up on August 29 will be Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’. Then they'll be playing the Closing Concert on August 30 with award-winning soloist Augustin Hadelich. | EIF