Festival opening night event cancelled

Edinburgh International Festival have had to cancel the Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: Night Light scheduled for 6-8 August from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

   
The festival organisers have explained that without the artists getting any travel exemption from quarantine as was available before, it is not logistically feasible for the Carabosse creative team to travel from France to Edinburgh to undertake the necessary preparatory work, which needs to be completed seven weeks before the event itself.   
 
All other festival events are unaffected by this cancellation and will go ahead as planned. 

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said “Since its inception in 2015, the opening event of the Edinburgh International Festival has captured the imagination of festival goers and opened it up to a whole new audience. Despite the best efforts of all involved, it is regrettable the festival is having to cancel this year’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: Night Light. While this will be disappointing to all those who enjoy this event and its role in signalling the start of Edinburgh’s August festivals, the wide selection of events across the International Festival’s programme remain unaffected and will reinforce Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events.”

Simon Bailey Global Head of Brand Management, Aberdeen Standard Investments, said:“As title sponsor of the Opening Event, Aberdeen Standard Investments, are clearly disappointed, but supportive of the decision to cancel this year’s event due to unprecedented circumstances. We will work with the Edinburgh International Festival to explore other possible ways to support the Festival to be as inclusive and far reaching as possible.”