This year marks 70 years of the Edinburgh International Festival, and the University has been involved since the very beginning. At the end of World War Two, alumnus and Head of the British Council in Scotland Henry Harvey Wood, Reid Professor of Music at the University Sidney Newman, alumnus and Lord Provost Sir John Falconer, and acclaimed opera house manager Rudolf Bing 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. As a proud supporter, the University offers many of its spaces as festival venues and collaborates with organisers to host major events. Our photo gallery captures the festival atmosphere across the University and city throughout August.