Edinburgh International Festival has already booked some big names for 2026, and tickets will go on sale from 20 November for members.
Leading performers from all genres are heading to the capital next August.
The line-up will include the Berliner Philharmoniker, Zurich Opera House, San Francisco Ballet with Floating Points and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), and theatre-maker Christiane Jatahy with actor Wagner Moura (Narcos, Elite Squad).
Booking will open on 20 November for members and 27 November when anyone can then book their tickets for the performances which are announced today.
Theatre programme
Opening the theatre programme in 2026 the Brazilian director Christiane Jatahy collaborates with Wagner Moura, the Golden Globe nominated actor who played Pablo Escobar in Narcos on Netflix. Moura recently won Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival.
A Trial – after An Enemy of the People is a powerful continuation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, moved into a modern-day courtroom to offer a sharp look at authoritarianism, fake news and public judgment. Ever inventive and deeply political, Jatahy combines audience participation, where audience members become jury, and filmed footage, creating a one-of-a-kind performance each night.
A Trial also marks the beginning of a historic three-year commissioning and producing initiative between the Edinburgh International Festival, Holland Festival, and Festival d’Avignon – three European giants of the arts, each founded in 1947, uniting to reaffirm a shared belief that art can change the world.
Berliner Philharmoniker
The Berliner Philharmoniker will perform works including those by Beethoven with Grammy Award-wining soloist Augustin Hadelich, and the well-known Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
The San Francisco Ballet will be back in the capital for the first time in two decades with a new full-company work by Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton, the European premiere of Mere Mortals.
The RSNO will be joined by Floating Points aka Sam Shepherd performing his own composition. Reimagining the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box through our 21st-century relationship with artificial intelligence, Mere Mortals is a thrilling fusion of classical technique, cutting-edge visuals and electronic soundscape.
Zurich Opera House present the UK production premiere of Verdi’s A Masked Ball, a lavish, large-scale production in the Festival Theatre with the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House under the baton of internationally sought-after conductor Gianandrea Noseda.
Welsh director Adele Thomas’s fresh take on this classic opera sees two stellar casts alternate between performances, with ill-fated lovers Riccardo and Amelia played both by Stephen Costello and Elena Stikhina, and Piero Pretti and Erika Grimaldi.
Presented as part of the Anderson Opera Series, made possible through the generosity of longtime Festival supporters James and Morag Anderson.
Ms Benedetti – “must see performances”
Edinburgh International Festival Director Nicola Benedetti said: “These four landmark works offer a glimpse of what’s to come for the International Festival in 2026, as we continue to welcome some of the world’s most extraordinary artists to Edinburgh. 2026 is a pivotal year for us, as we grow and push artistic excellence even further. The International Festival holds a unique position to bring world-class companies like San Francisco Ballet and the Berlin Philharmonic to Edinburgh, while also being a place where new ideas and collaborations can take place.
“Developing works like A Trial – after An Enemy of the People and reviving Zurich Opera
House’s A Masked Ball shows how we can work closely with artists to transform ideas into
reality on our stages. This is what sets the International Festival apart: a deep commitment
to artistic collaboration and exchange between artists, our peers around the world and
fundamentally here in Scotland too. At its core, the International Festival has always been
about connection, discovery and excellence, and these must-see performances capture
that spirit in full.”
Edinburgh International Festival Creative Director Roy Luxford said: “The Edinburgh International Festival was founded after the devastation of World War II, to bring together artists and audiences from different nations, promoting cultural unity and international cooperation in the aftermath of the war’s devastation.
“That same year, Holland Festival and Festival d’Avignon were born from the same hope. Nearly eight decades later, 2026 marks the first year of the International Festival’s historic three-year
collaboration with our fellow European festivals, as we look towards our shared 80th
anniversary in 2027.
“This creative partnership represents a powerful statement of shared purpose – a belief that
when festivals collaborate, we can amplify the voices of artists and connect with
audiences on a truly global scale. The International Festival is well placed as an incubator
for global talent, and collaborating with our peers allows us to be bigger and bolder,
reaffirming Edinburgh’s place as a world-leading hub of the performing arts.”
The 2026 edition of the Edinburgh International Festival takes place 7-30 August 2026.
Full details of the 2026 programme will be revealed in March 2026.
For tickets, to become a member, or sign up for more details, visit www.eif.co.uk
Pre-sale booking for members opens at noon on 20 November.
