THE Edinburgh Festival season officially got under way yesterday, and it was clear from an increased police presence on the street that security is an issue for the capital in these troubled times.
With 27,000 people expected to attend one single event this weekend, the festival’s high profile is global, and though they never comment on security matters, Police Scotland yesterday stated: “High-visibility patrols will be deployed across the city centre and other busy areas during the festival where police will deter crime, engage with the public and address any issues that arise.”
The force also unveiled its new facility for the festival – their own “fringe venue”.
Strictly not part of the official Fringe, venue 999 is located on East Princes Street Gardens, below the Scott Monument, and is open to any member of the public looking for advice on personal safety, crime prevention and other policing matters. The large police vehicle will be in daily operation between 11am and 10pm seven days a week for the duration of the festival.
In addition to the new base, the police information centre on the High Street will also be open throughout August, with officers working to provide assistance to anyone in need.
Superintendent Lesley Clark said: “Edinburgh is one of the safest cities in the world and a great place to be, not only during the summer, but throughout the year.
“We have a wealth of experience in policing the festival and considerable planning and collaboration with our partners has already taken place to ensure the safety of those who are visiting, as well as our local residents and businesses.
“Throughout the capital there are a number of unique Fringe venues offering the public an array of attractions and experiences, which add to the wonderful festival atmosphere.
“As part of Operation Summer City – our festival policing campaign – we have created our own unofficial Fringe venue. While you can’t take in a show there, you can receive lots of useful information on keeping yourself safe while you’re out and about enjoying all that Edinburgh has to offer.
“In previous years we have utilised social media heavily to promote our safety messages and we are looking to build on that this year, with a number of specially-created videos due to be posted online throughout the coming weeks. You can watch these videos and follow our campaign by liking the Edinburgh Police Division Facebook page or by following @EdinburghPolice.”
The sheer scale of the festival season is breathtaking. The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), the Fringe and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo all officially began yesterday and next weekend will see the launch of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Despite a slight reduction on the number of shows from 2015, the Fringe remains the world’s largest arts festival with 50,266 perfor- mances of 3,269 shows at 294 venues across the capital, including more than 600 free events across the programme.
The EIF began yesterday evening with Bellini’s opera Norma, with Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli in the title role.
Tomorrow, Edinburgh Castle will provide the backdrop for a spectac-ular public opening show before a ticketed audience of 27,000 people.
The castle and its rock will act as a canvas for animated projections charting 350 million years of history in a production called Deep Time, featuring the work of Scotland’s father of geology, James Hutton, and set to a specially-composed soundtrack by Scottish band Mogwai.
The EIF features performances from almost 2,450 artists from 36 nations. Festival director Fergus Linehan said: “There’s always slightly nervous anticipation and it’s an incredibly busy opening weekend. We feel like we have three opening nights because we open our big opera on Friday – Norma, from Salzburg, on Saturday we have our big opening concert, and on Sunday we have Deep Time and The Glass Menagerie opening. It feels really good and the tickets are flying out the door.”
The Tattoo this year is paying tribute to the Queen, who celebrated her 90th birthday this year, and to David Bowie. It will include a cast of more than 1,200 performers and in excess of 250 pipers and drummers from around the world.
Twenty-five performances featuring more than 2,000 performers will take place across August, with a combined live audience of 220,000 people, while there will be a flypast by the Red Arrows tonight at 7.30pm
Tattoo producer Brigadier David Allfrey said: “We are particularly proud to add our celebration to Her Majesty the Queen’s special year while marking other important anniversaries: Jutland and the Great Arab Revolt.
“Above all though, the music is the star. This year we have developed a fabulous score bursting with incredible tunes.”
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