The five Edinburgh Festivals due to happen in August will no longer go ahead as a result of COVID-19.
Since the WHO labelled the novel coronavirus a pandemic in March, countries around the world have enacted lockdown restrictions and major global events have been postponed or cancelled. Joining the list of cancellations are the five Edinburgh festivals that were scheduled to take place in August — at the height of the travel season.
For the first time in over 70 years, the five festivals that transform Edinburgh into the world’s leading cultural destination will not go ahead: the Edinburgh Art Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The history of the Edinburgh Festivals dates back to 1947; in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Edinburgh International Festival was founded to reconcile and reunite people and nations through art, in an event that transcended political and cultural boundaries. In the years that followed, the International Festival became known for bringing the world’s leading theatre, dance and music artists to stunning venues in Edinburgh.
With millions flocking to the Edinburgh Festivals each year, it is truly a sad day for, what has become, the most significant and important celebration of culture anywhere in the world.
The Edinburgh Festivals join a growing list of global events that have now been cancelled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; these include:
- 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo has been delayed to 2021
- Expo 2020 Dubai has been postponed until 2021
- Coachella has been postponed
- The World Athletics Indoor Championship is seeking a new date in 2022
- The Cannes International Film Festival has been postponed from its original dates of May 12-23, and organizers are discussing rescheduling the festival to the summer
- The Eurovision Song Contest was canceled for the first time since it began 64 years ago
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