guide to the best festivals & events in edinburgh 2018

Hosting more than 3000 annual events, including the world’s largest arts festival, featuring more than 20,000 performers, and welcoming more than 4 million arts and culture lovers from around the world, Edinburgh is The Festival City. Now in its 71st year of festival hosting, Scotland’s capital knows how to throw a party.
Here’s our roundup of the best upcoming events and festivals from July through December 2018

July

13 – 22 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

Ten days of world-class jazz and blues makes this a great start to the festival season for music appreciators. Whether you love all-things jazz & blues, or your tastes are more niche, you’ll be able to choose from 170 gigs spanning everything from boogie-woogie to samba and from electric blues to delta blues. The festival is spread throughout the city from the iconic Assembly Hall to the intimate George Square Gardens

http://www.edinburghjazzfestival.com/ - Official Website

26 – 26 Aug Edinburgh Art Festival

Join more than a quarter of a million visitors to the biggest visual arts festival in the United Kingdom. The best of classic and contemporary, up and coming and established artworks and artists can be experienced at 40 exhibitions throughout Edinburgh’s leading art galleries and museums. Best of all, the event spans a month, and most exhibitions are free, so there are plenty of opportunities to get your artwork fix.

https://www.edinburghartfestival.com/ - Official Website

august

03 – 27 Edinburgh International Festival

The Edinburgh International Festival is globally unique. A festival of music, theatre and dance handpicked from the best of Scotland and around the world by the International Festival curators and hosted in the capital’s major performance venues over three spectacular weeks. Expect everything from music by Django Django to a modern-day retelling of The Beggar’s Opera.

 https://www.eif.co.uk/ - Official Website

03 – 27 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Running in tandem with the International Festival, the Fringe is the biggest of its kind in the world and offers a special take on the festival experience. The open-access ethos of the festival ensures a varied collection of performances and something for all tastes and all ages. Take your pick from cabaret to comedy, shows to storytelling. You’ll find events hosted in spaces throughout the city in the biggest theatres and the smallest bars.

https://www.edfringe.com/ - Official Website

03 – 25 The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Don’t let the name fool you, this military musical extravaganza has nothing to do with body inking. This year’s festival promises to be even more exceptional with a ‘The Sky’s the Limit’ theme and an embracing of Scotland’s Year of Young People. Iconic and a year on year sold-out event, this global collection of military bands is witnessed by 200,000 in person and 100 million more on TV. A special highlight, and not to be missed, is the Lone Piper.

https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/ - Official Site

december

30 – 01 Jan Edinburgh’s Hogmanay

Ringing in the New Year on an unprecedented scale with three days of partying throughout the city, this is the most spectacular New Year’s party on the planet. The festival is a regular feature in ‘worlds best events’ and ‘top things to do’ lists with good reason. Join the crowds in Princes Street Gardens for fireworks and live music, head to the streets for a torchlit procession and an impressive street party with the Edinburgh Castle as its backdrop. Complete the experience and leap into the new year and the chilly waters of the River Forth on New Year’s day.

https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/ - Official Website

Edinburgh Festival Accommodation

With venues spread across the city and the city’s population increasing by two hundred thousand or more people during festival weeks, location is key for a stress-free Edinburgh festival experience. The Haymarket Hub Hotel is right in Edinburgh city centre and across from Haymarket Train Station. ​Contemporary and affordable with perks like free smartphones during your stay with free data, makes it a smart choice wherever you’re arriving from.