Snapshot
As summer 2017 marks 70 years of the Edinburgh International Festival, this view of the city at dusk is a reminder of how magical Edinburgh is at this time of year.
After the end of World War Two, Henry Harvey Wood, Head of the British Council in Scotland, Sidney Newman, Reid Professor of Music at the University, and alumnus Lord Provost Sir John Falconer, embarked on a mission to bring a visionary cultural event to Scotland’s capital.
In 1947 the Edinburgh International Festival was founded as ‘a platform for the flowering of the human spirit’, with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Film Festival launching the same year. Today, these festivals offer an unparalleled celebration of arts, comedy and entertainment and bring together performers and visitors from around the world.