News Story
The first performances of the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival are yours to discover.
World-leading artists set to take to the stage in August 2026.
Berliner Philharmoniker
The Berliner Philharmoniker makes a long-awaited return to the Festival in a two-concert residency under Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko. Experience ‘the world’s greatest orchestra’ (LA Times) performing beloved works from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Elgar.
Mere Mortals: San Francisco Ballet
Open Pandora’s Box and come face to face with the perils of our tech-obsessed age. San Francisco Ballet takes on eternal philosophical questions about the quest for knowledge through the contemporary lens of artificial intelligence.
Mere Mortals is a bold new full-company work by Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton whose works ‘offer an entire world’ (New York Times).
Composer and electronic musician Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) performs his original score live with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. With cutting-edge visuals, the full power of the orchestra in the pit and 40 of the world’s best dancers commanding the stage, this European premiere promises to be a breathtaking spectacle.
Verdi’s A Masked Ball: Zurich Opera House
Love and deception swirl at the center of Giuseppe Verdi’s stunning opera A Masked Ball (Un ballo in maschera). Riccardo, the Governor of Boston, is in love with his best friend’s wife. Caught between love and loyalty, Riccardo risks everything – his political standing and even his life.
Zurich Opera House present the UK production premiere of A Masked Ball, a lavish, large-scale production in the Festival Theatre with the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House under the baton of internationally sought-after conductor Gianandrea Noseda.
A Trial – after an Enemy of the People
Christiane Jatahy picks up where Henrik Ibsen left off.
Jatahy’s sequel throws Stockmann, played by Golden Globe-nominated actor Wagner Moura (Narcos, The Secret Agent), into a modern-day public courtroom to determine his fate. Lawyers and judges are noticeably absent, and it’s up to a jury of audience members to decide if he is innocent or whether he is indeed an ‘enemy of the people’.
Ever inventive and deeply political, Jatahy combines audience participation and filmed footage, creating a one-of-a-kind performance each night.
A Trial also marks the beginning of a historic three-year commissioning and producing initiative between the Edinburgh International Festival, Holland Festival, and Festival d’Avignon.
See you there
Tickets are on-sale to the public from 27 November with priority booking available for members.
The 2026 Edinburgh International Festival takes place 7-30 August 2026. The full programme will be announced in March, with tickets on-sale late March.
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Become a Member
As a charity, the Festival relies on support from members, donors, funders and partners to fulfil our mission and vision. Membership starts from £60 and includes perks such as priority booking, plus access to backstage tours and rehearsals during the Festival.
