Edinburgh International Children's Festival

Two years after celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival finally reopens its doors with a programme of online and outdoor theatre and dance for young people. It is the first of the Edinburgh festivals to do so in a sector which has been hit hard over the last year.

With a digital programme including streamed performances and innovative ‘live’ digital interactions, schools and families from all over the UK are able to take part this year (with schools in Shetland booking over 200 tickets), especially as many of the online shows can be watched at any time during the 13 days of the Festival.

The Festival has also introduced a price sliding scale, with family tickets available for as little as £5, in recognition of the financial strain many families have experienced recently. This, alongside its successful schools programme, will help increase access to the Festival even further.

To complement the online offer, Festival goes outdoor with Family Encounters, a series of free pop-up performances and installations taking place in the Royal Botanic Garden and other Edinburgh venues in the first and last weekend of the Festival (29-30 May and 5-6 June). The specially commissioned events will showcase the talent of Scotland-based artists who have created a range of innovative and inspiring site-specific encounters for families. Children can expect encounters with a unicorn, aerials on a giant swing or even a basket-ball inspired hip-hop workshop.

And thanks to its international reputation, the Festival is also once again attracting industry professionals from all over the world – albeit online – who welcome the opportunity to take part in discussions and discover new artistic talents.