The Edinburgh International Festival, which ends tonight with the traditional, explosive finale of the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert, announced today that it had a record year at the box office. The EIF took £2.83 million in 2012, an increase of 9% in sales income and an increase of 11% in number of tickets issued on Festival 2011.
Jonathan Mills, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival said this year's Festival had been a "year of partnerships and collaborations".
Over 3000 artists from over 47 nations and audiences from over 70 nations participated in the Edinburgh International Festival in 2012.
As well as public funding sourced from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Event Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council the Festival also worked with London 2012 Festival and the World Shakespeare Festival, and many international tourism and cultural agencies, particularly the British Council to widen its reach internationally.
"In hard times as well as good it remains one of the world’s most important examples of the power of culture to transform lives. In sharing this year’s Festival with audiences this has felt both real and important and I thank everyone who shared in these wonderful moments,’ Mills said.
Highlights among EG reviewers included NVA’s especially commissioned Speed of Light, Watt, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the large Cleveland Orchestra, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The Free Palestine protest of Israeli production Hora was a low point.
New festival audiences
The Festival said that one of the most popular Twitter conversations highlighted the opportunity for those under 26 to buy £8 tickets on the day seeing a rise of 73% this year. Tickets sold to people under 18 also rose by just over 30% on 2011’s figures.
The Festival’s Facebook reach extended to 80,000 people through Festival 2012.
The Festival welcomed more diverse audiences this year with an 11% rise in the take up of discounts for people with disabilities.
Festival Friends and INsiders got backstage and behind the scenes at 2008: Macbeth, Makropulos Case, London Symphony Orchestra, European Youth Orchestra among others throughout the Festival period.
Festival backstage, conceived and funded by Standard Life, was celebrated at the BBC Big Screen in Festival Square with 10 films sharing insights and glimpses into the Festival’s workings and artists lives, still available to watch on the Festival’s website.
Around 600 of Edinburgh’s primary and secondary school children took part in workshops with Deborah Colker’s Dance Company following their acclaimed performances of Tatyana at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
Live broadcasts throughout the Festival on BBC Radio 3 as well as dedicated editions of programmes across the broadcaster enhanced the Festival’s reach.
Festival 2013 will be launched on Wednesday 13 March and runs 9 August – 1 September 2013
More on the Edinburgh International Festival.
More on the Festival Fireworks Concert