Edinburgh International Festival to hold huge new opening event in August
This August Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) will stage a new outdoor large-scale event to open the festival created along with a new Principal Partner, The Macallan.
EIF’s 2024 theme will be Rituals That Unite Us, and the 2024 opening event is promised to be the first of a new summer ritual both for the festival and the city. The occasion is expected to attract an audience of more than 10,000 people.
The EIF and The Macallan have created a union established in a combined history, shared creativity and international reach – but all rooted firmly in Scotland. The opening event will include mythology, history and Scottish heritage at its heart. A range of performers will take audiences to a world exploring the past, present and future, all inspired by the Edinburgh landscape.
The creative team is led by Katy Fuller at Pinwheel as creative producer who created the projection festival “North of the Tyne, Under the Stars”, and Land of Green Ginger for Hull when it was the City of Culture.
The EIF’s collaboration with The Macallan, the single malt Scotch Whisky, brings to life a shared history of Scottish creativity and craftsmanship with a visually stunning event promised.
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival, said: “This year’s Edinburgh International Festival will be a momentous celebration of the collective experiences that bind us closer together. We share The Macallan’s commitment to artistic innovation and collaboration, and to true mastery. This flourishing partnership will enable audiences to experience Festival traditions in new and extraordinary ways; our unmissable opening event will allow us to see ourselves and our history on the grandest of stages, and inspire us to think differently.”
Jaume Ferràs, Global Creative Director, The Macallan, said: “2024 marks The Macallan’s 200th anniversary through a celebration of time. As part of this milestone, we are delighted to be working with the Edinburgh International Festival and draw upon our combined heritage, creativity and artistic power. Edinburgh International Festival is renowned as the world’s leading arts festival bringing a rich tapestry of Scottish stories to the global stage. We look forward to combining our creative talents and connecting local and global audiences with the highest quality of Scottish storytelling through this exciting new opening event for Edinburgh International Festival.”
The full Edinburgh International Festival programme will be announced on 7 March 2024. Tickets will be on sale on 21 March 2024, with priority booking for members.
