Hello. Behind me you can see our wonderful Cathedral – a place of peace and prayerfulness all through the year. Somewhat in contrast to the city just now. Because Edinburgh, in August, is a noisy place.
It’s not so much the roar of traffic, as the happy hubbub of conversation, and laughter and music – a stark contrast to the many sad and divisive events around the world at the moment. For August in Edinburgh means Festival, it means Fringe, and it means several million visitors from all over the world enjoying human creativity in every artistic medium – actors and authors, ballet and burlesque, choirs and comedians covering the range from ancient to avant garde.
In 1947, after the devastation of war, the Edinburgh International Festival was conceived to be ‘a platform for the flowering of the human spirit’. And you’ll find that many of our churches join in this wholeheartedly, not simply by offering their halls for use but by developing programmes for Sunday worship and weekday events.
Christians, of course, believe that in Jesus of Nazareth, God embraced the fullness of our lives, suffering and death as well as joy and new birth. And we’re proud to play our part in a festival that lays bare and celebrates the heights and the depths of human experience; its light and its darkness.
So, everyone is welcome to our beautifully, noisy city this Festival time. Come and let down your barriers just a little and enter into an experience that transcends differences of language and culture and overcomes fear with friendship.
We look forward to welcoming you to our churches and to our city.
Here is the full list of churches that are acting as official venues during the Edinburgh Festival
Venue 4 St Columba’s-by-the-Castle
What’s on at St Columba’s by the Castle
Discover C venues
Venue 58 St Peter’s Scottish Episcopal Church
What’s on at St Peter’s, Lutton Place
Venue 91 St Mary’s Cathedral
What’s on at St Mary’s Cathedral
Venue 95 St Michael and All Saints Church
What’s on at St Michael and All Saints
Venue 127 St John’s Church, Princes Street
What’s on at St John’s
Discover the Just Festival
Venue 197 St Vincent’s Chapel
What’s on at St Vincent’s
Venue 230 St Ninian’s Church
What’s on at St Ninian’s
Venue 267 Old St Paul’s
What’s on at Old St Paul’s
(Featured photo credit: byronv2 on Flickr)