Celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year, Assembly Festival runs from today until the end of August. T
he gardens will be open daily offering a mix of street food and lite-bites from some of Scotland’s local producers, and an outdoor space for coffee or late-night drinking at Assembly’s garden bars.
Entry to the garden is free and this year there is a special Ruby cocktail available created to celebrate Assembly’s 40th year.
The garden opens with the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (15-25 July) which begins at 5pm with Martin Harley in the Piccolo and Festival favourites Tom McGuire & the Brassholes – an 8-piece jazz funk powerhouse from Glasgow.
Next week there will be more food vans rolling in for the Edinburgh Food Festival which returns (22-31 July) with treats and a programme of talks and cooking demonstrations for Edinburgh’s festival foodies to enjoy.
Then, from the start of August the garden will host some of Assembly’s shows (3 -29 August) including winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 Jinkx Monsoon, children’s disco dance favourite Monski Mouse, comedy from Al Murray, the best newcomers in comedy in Best of the Fest: The New Class, clever cookery from George Egg, and thumping big tunes from Massaoke’s Rockstar weekend.
Over the past three weeks, more than 120 Assembly staff have been working round-the-clock to transform the gardens into a magical oasis to sit at the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. During that time the production team has laid almost 2,700 square metres of grass, unfurled six tons of cable, fitted over 1,000 lightbulbs, had a close encounter with a wasps’ nest, and drunk around 300 cups of tea every day.
Dani Rae, General Manager of Assembly Festival said: “The opening of the garden is a significant moment each year. When the lights are turned on and the first members of the public make their way through the gates – we know that we’re just weeks away from the start of the Fringe. This year Assembly marks its 40th anniversary with a fantastic programme of over 200 shows in 25 performance spaces across the city.
“The garden is a central part of that programme and continues to be a firm favourite for Festival goers to visit during August.”
Assembly Festival’s George Square Gardens opens to the public at 5pm on Friday 15 July.
The Gardens are open daily till late. For more information on Assembly’s full programme of events visit www.assemblyfestival.com.
