Van Gogh Alive which has already visited 75 cities worldwide, is set to open at Festival Square on 17 March 2022 for a four month run.

A temporary structure is set to be constructed on the piazza off Lothian Road over the course of a month starting on 14 February.

The transformed site will be home to a 4D immersive gallery which will give visitors a “multi-sensory experience”.

Also included is a life-size recreation of Van Gogh’s famous Bedroom in Arles painting and a mirrored room with hundreds of sunflowers.

Tickets are already on sale and councillors are expected to grant the 1405 square metre canopy planning permission next week.

The exhibition uses Sensory4tm technology providing ultra-hi-resolution images of the 19th century painter’s work, which are projected onto screens around the gallery, with an accompanying musical soundtrack.

Plans, submitted by events company Active Sport & Entertainment, state: “Rather than walking around and viewing art in the traditional manner, Van Gogh Alive surrounds guests with light, colour, fragrance and sounds, which allows people to actively interact with the works.

“Building upon the recent success of the event with UK audiences, the applicant is seeking to bring the Van Gogh Alive exhibition to Scotland, and has identified Festival Square as a prime location in Edinburgh.

“Festival Square has hosted many temporary structures in the past to complement the annual festivals that take place in Edinburgh which attract both local people and foreign visitors to the city.”

The proposals will go before members of the council’s Development Management Sub Committee on Wednesday.

Planners have recommended that councillors grant permission and state in a report: “On balance, the benefits of this site outweigh the very minor and temporary impact that the proposal would have on the setting of neighbouring listed buildings.

“Temporary events have been held in Festival Square, as it lends itself to such events by virtue of its scale, vibrancy and commercial nature. The proposed massing is designed to scale up, away from Lothian Road, ensuring that the largest massing of the structures would be to the rear of the square and avoid forming a dominant feature along the Lothian Road streetscape.”

Van Gogh Alive will be open seven days a week throughout the period of operation.

 by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

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The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.