| Considered by many to be the largest performing | | | | which sees visitors coming back again and again |
| arts festival in the world and drawing hundreds of | | | | each year is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. |
| thousands of visitors to Scotland's capital every | | | | Taking over the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle for |
| summer, the Edinburgh Festival is an | | | | the month of August, this evening of incredible |
| extravaganza that has to be experienced to be | | | | international military displays takes in everything |
| truly appreciated. Though it is in fact a collection | | | | from marching pipe bands and drum groups to |
| of smaller festivals that take place simultaneously | | | | motorcycle display teams and daredevil stunts. |
| throughout August, the whole city becomes a | | | | Other festivals that overlap into each other in |
| vast stages of theatre, comedy, music, dance | | | | Edinburgh each August include the Edinburgh Jazz |
| and culture, so the term ‘Edinburgh Festival' is | | | | and Blues Festival, Edinburgh Mela, which |
| used by most to describe the duration of them. | | | | celebrates Edinburgh's South Asian community, |
| Starting in 1947 with the Edinburgh International | | | | the Edinburgh International Internet Festival and |
| Festival (EIF) which showcased international | | | | the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The EIBF |
| theatre in the capital, the event was soon | | | | sets up shop in the centre's Charlotte Square |
| ‘sabotaged' by an external theatre group | | | | each year under an array of marquees, where |
| which would later become known as the | | | | guests and authors hold question and answer |
| Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Both the EIF and the | | | | sessions and creative writing workshops take |
| Fringe still run every year and are consistently the | | | | place in amongst readings and book signings. |
| two biggest draws of the Edinburgh Festival, in | | | | It's almost impossible to say roughly how many |
| terms of both performers and ticket sales. | | | | people descend onto Edinburgh each summer for |
| Thanks to many household name comedians | | | | this extravaganza, but the Edinburgh International |
| performing each year and elaborate international | | | | Festival alone is estimated to attract up to |
| theatre productions setting up stage in the middle | | | | 330,000 spectators, not to mention the thousands |
| of the city, these two independent festivals often | | | | of performers and organisers who make it all |
| seem to get most of the coverage, but there is | | | | happen. Each year usually sees new venues briefly |
| more to the Edinburgh Festival than just comedy | | | | opening up, but for celeb-spotting and great |
| and theatre. The Edinburgh international Film | | | | people watching, old favourites like The Pleasance |
| Festival (EIFF) is an award-winning and glitzy | | | | in the south side and George Square Gardens |
| annual affair which now takes place in June | | | | next to Edinburgh University are where to spend |
| instead of August each year. Red carpets, film | | | | a summer's evening. For the best selection of |
| stars and premiers ignite the city's imagination for | | | | central Edinburgh hotels, the city's Old Town is |
| two weeks of the calendar as the city's cinemas | | | | packed with accommodation options. |
| become the place to be. Another huge draw | | | | |