News Story
Our NHS Festival Sessions bring Festival artists into hospitals year-round, creating joyful moments of musical connections.
Music can have a powerful impact on wellbeing. That's why, in partnership with NHS Lothian Charity: Tonic Arts, we bring transformative live performances directly to patients, families, staff and volunteers across healthcare settings.
In its second year, the NHS Festival Sessions take place regularly year-round, bringing an exciting array of International Festival artists into NHS Lothian spaces to create curated moments of musical and emotional connection. Accompanied by Plinio Ferndanes and Host, Lucy Drever, Nicola Benedetti joined the NHS Festival Sessions programme today (26 June) visiting ward spaces in Royal Infirmary Edinburgh and performing in the outpatients’ space of Royal Hospital for Children & Young People.
Witnessing the joy and emotional connection these live sessions create really demonstrates the importance and positive impact of the arts on wellbeing.Len McCaffer, Tonic Arts
Previous Festival Session artists include the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker and the Philharmonia Orchestra, visiting sites such as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital and St John’s Hospital, Livingston.
Breaking Down Barriers to Cultural Participation
NHS Festival Sessions are part of our wider Festival vision – to ensure that the joy of life-altering live performance is accessible to the broadest possible audience.
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Everyone is invited to the International Festival – that’s why half of our tickets will be sold for £30 or less, and by extending our performances into community and healthcare settings, we’re reaching people where they are, and bringing a taste of the Festival to those who may be unable to attend.Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director
Affordabilty Initiatives
This year, we continue to break down barriers to cultural participation with a range of affordability initiatives. These include:
- Over 1,000 donated tickets for NHS staff, charity workers, and low-income benefit recipients in partnership with Tickets for Good.
- £10 Affordable tickets for every event in the programme, available for anyone who needs them by quoting the promo code ‘INVITED’
- Over 2,500 free tickets for Scotland’s young musicians aged 8–18 through the Young Musician's Pass.
- Half-price tickets for under 18s and D/deaf, disabled & neurodivergent people for all Festival performances
© Mihaela Bodlovic