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Thu 06 Mar 2008

26 Nov 2007

The Edinburgh International Festival today announces key dates for 2008.

Festival 08 runs from the Opening Concert on Friday August 8 to the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert on Sunday August 31. The full programme will be released on Wednesday April 2 when brochures will be available from various locations around the country and by mail. Booking also opens on that date for members of the Festival’s supporters group, known as Patrons and Muses.

Public booking opens on Saturday April 12. Tickets will be available online at eif.co.uk, by phone on +44 (0) 131 473 2000, and by post or in person at Hub Tickets, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE.

Festival 07, the first with Jonathan Mills as director, was an artistic and critical success, and saw 83.5% of available seats sold, with a final box office take of nearly £2.5 million.

FESTIVAL 07 – THE FACTS

- In 2007 the Festival presented 139 performances of which three were world premieres, two were European premieres, six UK premieres and four specially commissioned public works of art exhibited as part of Jardins Publics.

- 500 Scottish-based and 1500 international artists took part in Festival 07.

- Festival 07 took its first £1million within 5 days of public booking opening. The final box office take was nearly £2.5 million.

- There were over 380,000 attendances to Festival 07 events.

- 83.5% of available seats were sold.

- Almost 8,000 people attended the 16 choral concerts at Greyfriar’s Kirk.

- There have been over 36 million hits to the EIF website so far this year.

- 10% increase in number of students and young people attending Festival performances in 2007.

- 8065 room nights were booked for visiting artists throughout the Festival period.

- Hoteliers in the city reported a 2% increase in occupancy rates.

For further information contact George Anderson on 0131 473 2020.