Edinburgh International Festival announces 2024 theme

Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) has today announced the theme of its upcoming 2024 edition. A first look at next year’s festival programme, which focuses on the ‘Rituals That Unite Us’, promises five operas as well as the Scottish premiere of new dance work Assembly Hall.

The 2024 festival will mark the 900th anniversary of the city of Edinburgh. Its theme builds on the question which characterised the EIF’s 2023 edition, ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’, and takes inspiration from philosopher Byung-Chul Han and his book The Disappearance of Rituals.

EIF director Nicola Benedetti (pictured above) said: ‘We continue to pursue an openness towards diverse perspectives, and in exploring 'Rituals That Unite Us', reflect our deeply human need to connect with one another. When beliefs differ, when we are not aligned over a shared singular fight, it is always an effort, always tricky, always messy. But this is what our festival was founded to do. People use the word ‘soft’ when speaking of the power of the arts, but to open hearts and minds is the toughest and most serious thing we can offer people. It all starts with belief and trust. We led with this feeling in 2023, and we will deepen it in 2024.’

The 2024 festival will explore the rituals that unite us as well as our need for shared experience and connection. With this focus in mind, EIF will collaborate with the World Health Organisation and Scottish Ballet to host Healing Arts Scotland, the first ever nationwide Healing Arts campaign.

The upcoming festival will feature five operas, three fully staged and two in concert. In today’s announcement, EIF has revealed that this opera programme will include Bizet’s Carmen in a production from Parisian opera house Opéra-Comique, where the opera premiered in 1875. Led by German director Andreas Homoki, the production will include music from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.