Atmospheric opening promised for Edinburgh International Festival

A three-night spectacular in the grounds of a historic school is to open this year's Edinburgh International Festival.

Opening Event: Where to Begin will feature large-scale video projections, "immersive installations" and live music in the grounds of George Heriot’s School after dark.

However, unlike in previous years this opening event will not have free entry. Tickets will cost £15.

The school, which was founded in 1628, is overlooked by Edinburgh Castle and has been likened by some Harry Potter fans to Hogwarts.

The opening event will also involve storytelling, fire and video projections of Edinburgh including its hidden vaults and tunnels.

More than 3,000 tickets will be available for each night of the “large-scale communal experience”, which will run between 21: 45 and 23:00 on 2, 3 and 4 August.

It will underpin the festival's theme of Rituals That Unite Us and was devised by a team led by creative director Katy Fuller at Pinwheel.

She said: "Our story pays tribute to this most remarkable of cities and the unstoppable creative energy which pervades it every August.

"We celebrate the alchemy that happens when exceptional artistry meets expectant audience and the connection, emotion and inspiration that characterises a festival in full force."

Nicola Benedetti, Edinburgh International Festival director, said: "We know audiences will be blown away by this spectacle, and we're proud to show the formidable creative power and potential of Edinburgh and its people to the world.

"It's an event that beckons us to find new ways to experience and appreciate our city.”