Edinburgh International Festival today announces a new Principal Partner, single malt Scotch Whisky, The Macallan. Together, they will create a large-scale opening event to mark the start of August in Edinburgh, the world’s Festival City.
Responding to this year’s International Festival theme, ‘Rituals That Unite Us’, the 2024 opening event is an outdoor event welcoming 10,000+ people to create a new ritual together for the International Festival and the city of Edinburgh.
The collaboration between The Macallan and the International Festival is a creative union between two iconic Scottish brands, which draws upon a combined heritage, a shared creativity and global reach, all firmly anchored in Scotland.
Ambitious in scope and storytelling, the opening event evokes the mythology, history and Scotland’s rich cultural heritage. It showcases a range of artforms and performers, inviting audiences to step into a transcendent world that explores our past, present and future, inspired by Edinburgh’s iconic landscape as a city built on layers.
The opening event is devised by an extraordinary creative team led by creative producer Katy Fuller at Pinwheel, whose track record includes projection festival “North of the Tyne, Under the Stars” which celebrated the landscape and legends of the region, “Land of Green Ginger” for Hull UK City of Culture which transformed all corners of the city through a series of Acts of Wanton Wonder, and a portfolio of projects with artists ranging from dreamthinkspeak to Antony Gormley.
Blending myths and reality, the International Festival’s collaboration with The Macallan enlivens a shared history of Scottish creativity and craftsmanship, in what is set to be a visually stunning opening event to mark festival season in Edinburgh.
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival, says: “This year’s Edinburgh International Festival will be a momentous celebration of the collective experiences that bind us closer together.
“We share The Macallan’s commitment to artistic innovation and collaboration, and to true mastery. This flourishing partnership will enable audiences to experience Festival traditions in new and extraordinary ways; our unmissable opening event will allow us to see ourselves and our history on the grandest of stages, and inspire us to think differently.”
Jaume Ferràs, Global Creative Director, The Macallan, says: “2024 marks The Macallan’s 200th anniversary through a celebration of time. As part of this milestone, we are delighted to be working with the Edinburgh International Festival and draw upon our combined heritage, creativity and artistic power.
“Edinburgh International Festival is renowned as the world’s leading arts festival bringing a rich tapestry of Scottish stories to the global stage. We look forward to combining our creative talents and connecting local and global audiences with the highest quality of Scottish storytelling through this exciting new opening event for Edinburgh International Festival.”
The full Edinburgh International Festival programme will be announced on 7 March 2024. Tickets will be on sale on 21 March 2024, with priority booking for members. Sign up to the Edinburgh International Festival newsletter for up-to-date information at www.eif.co.uk.
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About Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival is a global celebration of performing arts, bringing the finest performers of dance, opera, music and theatre from around the world to Edinburgh for three weeks every August.
The next International Festival takes place 2-25 August 2024, under the direction of Festival Director and Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti. Benedetti’s vision is to create the deepest level of experience, through the highest quality of art, for the broadest possible audience.
The International Festival’s impact also extends beyond the annual programme, with community learning, engagement and professional development programmes running throughout the year, contributing to the cultural and social life of Edinburgh and Scotland.
For more information visit www.eif.co.uk
Membership at Edinburgh International Festival
Tickets go on sale in March 2024, with priority booking for members. Membership starts from £60 and includes priority booking, plus access to backstage tours and rehearsals during the Festival. For more information visit www.eif.co.uk/membership.
About The Macallan
Founded in 1824, The Macallan is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary single malt whiskies. Their outstanding quality and distinctive character reveal the uncompromised excellence pursued by The Macallan since it was established by Alexander Reid, on a plateau above the River Spey in north-east Scotland. Crafted without compromise. Please savour The Macallan responsibly.
About Pinwheel
Pinwheel is a creative producing and consultancy organisation based in the North East of England. Pinwheel devises breath-taking projects which inspire curiosity, spark imagination, transform spaces and transport audiences. It brings together collaborative artistic teams and the best production expertise to dream up and deliver experiences which always have a relevance and a resonance for the place and people.
Recent projects include a Cultural Festival for the Rugby League World Cup – including an outdoor touring dance performance and a huge light-art and poetry project – and North of the Tyne, Under the Stars, a series of 6 hyper-local events culminating in a large-scale projection festival for an audience of 40,000 in Newcastle City Centre. Pinwheel works across a broad spectrum of projects including cross-artform festivals, large-scale public art commissions, festivals of projection and light, parades and processions, and mass-participation live performance, and has delivered events of significant national and international impact, as well as locally significant events deeply rooted in community and place.
