EIF moves outdoors

Posted on April 21, 2021

Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), the world’s leading performing arts festival, will move outdoors in 2021, using bespoke venues to reunite artists and audiences safely. Taking place from August 7 to 29, this year’s festival will use a selection of performance spaces across the city including three temporary outdoor pavilions designed especially for live performance. The pavilions will be situated at locations including Edinburgh Park and the University of Edinburgh’s Old College Quad and will feature covered concert stages and socially distanced seating.

EIF is working with the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and other relevant authorities to implement appropriate COVID-19 safety measures. These include shorter performances with no intervals, physical distancing, regular cleaning, and contactless ticketing. Full details of the festival’s security measures will be published in the coming months.

As part of an ongoing commitment to accessibility, EIF will release a selection of high-quality streamed performances free of charge during each week of the festival, for audiences in Edinburgh and around the world to enjoy from home. Full details of the 2021 programme will be announced on June 2 before general booking opens on June 11. Visit eif.co.uk for further information.

Picture: Impression of a performance venue to be used at Edinburgh Park. Image courtesy of Edinburgh International Festival.

Nicola Rayner

Nicola Rayner was editor of Dance Today from 2010 to 2015. She has written for a number of publications including The Guardian, The Independent and Time Out Buenos Aires, where she cut her teeth as a dance journalist working on the tango section. Today she continues to dance everything from ballroom to breakdance, with varying degrees of success. Her debut novel, The Girl Before You, was published last year in paperback, ebook and audiobook.