The University is at the heart of the action this August, as the world's leading festival city welcomes visitors from around the world to its streets and stages.
George Square and other areas across on campus are at the heart of the action as Edinburgh's festivals open.
For almost 80 years, the University's people, places and partnerships have played an integral role in Edinburgh's festivals, supporting the world's greatest celebration of culture, creativity and ideas.
Each August the University is at the heart of the action, hosting venues on campus and working in partnership with festival organisers, with many students and staff also taking part in events.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and International Festival begin the celebrations on Friday 7 August, joined later in the month by the Edinburgh Art Festival, International Book and Film festivals.
Festival hosts
The University provides a home for many venues during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with over one third of all Fringe venues located across its campus, including Assembly, Underbelly, Pleasance Theatre and more.
This year also marks the return of the University’s Teviot as Gilded Balloon's flagship performance hub, bringing one of the festival's best loved venues back to the heart of the action.
This year's Teviot programme features 225 shows spanning comedy, theatre, cabaret, magic and musicals, following the historic student union’s reopening earlier this year.
The Teviot returns as Gilded Balloon's flagship venue, following the historic Student union’s reopening earlier this year.
Expert entertainment
University staff are taking part in many events across the Fringe programme, creating their own performances and curating programmes.
Researchers bring cutting-edge ideas and topical discussion to audiences through The Provocateurs, the University's long-running programme of research-led talks and comedy sets.
This year’s programme is its largest to date, featuring more than 50 academics from Edinburgh, alongside colleagues from Universities across Scotland.
This year’s programme features events presented in partnership with Edinburgh Medical School 300, spanning topics including women's health, anxiety and the scientific value of zebrafish.
St Cecilia's Hall presents a series of early music concerts featuring instruments from the University's historic collection.
Science-led events for all ages are also available. The Science Storyteller, created by Dr Iris van Zelst from the School of GeoSciences, explores the science of earthquakes through an unexpected link with Winnie the Pooh.
Academics and alumni from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will also stage a wide-ranging programme.
Events include academic-led conversations with bestselling authors Charlotte McConaghy, Abir Mukherjee and Callum McSorley, alongside poetry events featuring Creative Writing alumni.
While St Cecilia's Hall presents a programme celebrating early music, performed on period instruments from the University's historic collection, with concerts, talks and guided tours bringing centuries of musical history to life.
Students on stage
Students will also take to the stage, in a range of performances at the Fringe.
Edinburgh University Footlights present Carrie: The Musical at Paradise in Augustines, while the Edinburgh University Theatre Company returns with a diverse programme at Bedlam, the UK's oldest student-run theatre.
Highlights include the original comedy Cogito, Ergo… Something?, alongside nightly performances from the acclaimed improvised comedy troupe The Improverts.
The Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group (EUSOG) also stage a new production of Jonathan Larson's acclaimed rock musical Rent, staged at Paradise in Augustines.
Students perform across the Fringe in a wide range of theatre, music, opera and comedy shows.
International art
The year's partnership with the Edinburgh International Festival features a solo exhibition from acclaimed British artist Anne Hardy, with mysterious sculptural figures at the heart of an immersive installation at the University's Talbot Rice Gallery.
Also part of the Edinburgh Art Festival, the exhibition sees Hardy transform the gallery, creating an imagined world where the boundaries between the biological and technological have become increasingly blurred.
While The Legacy of Slavery, a major exhibition hosted at the historic Playfair Library, explores the enduring legacy of transatlantic slavery and racial injustice, examining Scotland's connections to slavery and its impact today.
The partnership also includes new research from Dr Francisco Quintana, a specialist in global law, created in response to A Trial – after An Enemy of the People, exploring themes of authoritarianism and misinformation.
Anne Hardy's International Festival exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery considers the tension between artificial intelligence and changing climate in everyday life.
More to come
Opening later this month, Edinburgh International Book Festival returns to the University, hosted at the Edinburgh Futures Institute for a third year. The festival's Front List series also sees 15 events held at McEwan Hall.
The University has collaborated on a series events featuring acclaimed writers, academics and public thinkers, including Scots poet Len Pennie, crime writer Val McDermid and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
The programme also features speakers from the University’s academic staff, bringing their expertise to the festival’s 2026 theme, ‘Changing Your Mind'.
Festival goers can once again enjoy the International Book Festival site at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
The Edinburgh Art Festival will also feature a number of University-led exhibitions and events.
The Edinburgh Futures Institute will stage talks and exhibitions exploring creativity and innovation, while Edinburgh College of Art presents a multisensory installation led by artist Theodore Koterwas at InSpace.
University experts also take part in this year’s International Film Festival, with academics and alumni will chairing panel events and leading workshops with young people developing skills in filmmaking.
Welcoming the world
Beyond the festival programmes, the University supports visitors and performers throughout the summer.
Thousands of artists, technicians and visitors will stay in University accommodation during August, with dedicated performer accommodation packages supporting artists from all over the world.
