After being cancelled for the first time in their history in 2020, Edinburgh’s various festivals are making an eagerly-awaited comeback this year.
August in the Capital will look very different from normal of course, with packed lecture theatres and queued bars replaced by socially-distanced outdoor venues and table service.
But organisers have already announced several hundred shows, with many more in the pipeline, from opera, theatre and classical concerts at the Edinburgh International Festival to the Fringe’s usual eclectic mix of shows.
Arguably the most eye-catching part of the lineup so far is the series of contemporary music gigs set to take place throughout August.
Here are 10 of the best.
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5. Black Midi
Black Midi's sophomore album 'Cavalcade' is already one of the year's best, combining post-punk, jazz and prog rock in new and exhilarating ways. They play the Edinburgh International Festival on Thursday, August 19 at Edinburgh Park. Photo: Black Midi/EIF

6. Meursault
Neil Pennycook's much-loved Scottish indie band Meursault will be playing for the first time since the pandemic hit with a career-spanning set at Summerhall's Secret Courtyard on Satuday, August 7. Photo: Laura Meek

7. Sacred Paws
SAY Award-winning duo Sacred Paws will be playing Summerhall's Secret Courtyard on Friday, August 13, playing songs from their two terrific albums of shimmering indie - 'Strike a Match' and 'Run Around The Sun'. Photo: Katherine Rose

8. Anna Meredith
Anna Meredith composed the music for the Edinburgh International Festival's opening spectacle 'Five Telegrams' in 2018. Now she's back playing a set featuring songs from critically-acclaimed latest album 'FIBS', as well as from her SAY Award-winning debut record 'Varmints', at Edinburgh Park on Friday, August 20. Photo: Gem Harris