Age old

The Festival has just turned 64 years young! 64 is a huge achievement for the longest running performance festival in Edinburgh. While maybe starting to feel a little senior, compared to the scenes of art, performance and theatre where it draws its programme from, it is actually very young.

While the festival pulls huge tradition and ritual from across the globe, it uses every modern convenience to drive itself. Everywhere i look i see the very old with the very new. Old performers and new audiences. Ancient venues with fresh approaches. Old circles welcoming new friends. Traditional stories told like for the first time.

 A mother and her daughter admire the Lightning Drawings exhibition at the launch night

The rooftop grid system at the Festival Kings Theatre. These bars have taken the weight of thousands of performances since 1906.

Amjad Ali Khan during a sound rehearsal

Princess Bari Choreographer Eun-Me Ahn and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh embrace in thanks at the artists reception at the City Chambers

Conductor Alberto Zedda leads a rehearsal of the orchestra for Semiramide

Ravi Shankar receives a standing ovation at the age of 91 at the Usher Hall

The original curtain counter-weight at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Sir Gerald Elliot hosts an Indian inspired pre-theatre reception in honour of Ravi Shankar

2nd year students from the Royal High School stretch out before an after school dance class. THe RHS is a main focus of dance tuition with many students going on to dance professionally

A guest weaver operates a handmade loom at the Dovecot studios. His technique is meticulous and ancient in spinning silk.

Young participants in the Nrityagram Ensemble dance class look on with a snack