Edinburgh International Children's Festival, held from 24 May to 1 June in 2025, is entirely dedicated to entertaining youngsters.
What is the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival?
The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is a nine-day long festival which offers shows from all over the world and showcases a programme of dance, circus, theatre, and storytelling.
2025 marks the 35th edition of the festival and features productions from seven countries with a Spotlight on Flanders - a small region with a big reputation for quality and risk taking in theatre for young audiences – alongside two Scottish commissions from both new and established artists. The programme will provide hidden visual delights, celebrate our natural environment, and take us on cultural adventures full of uplifting music and surprising language.
The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival opens with a day of free pop-up performances at the National Museum of Scotland. Productions also take place in theatres, community venues and outdoor spaces across Edinburgh.
For many children, attending these performances may be the first time they set foot in a theatre, for others it’s a chance to be inspired and take part.
Visit the Edinburgh International Children's Festival website (imaginate.org.uk)
What is the history of the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival?
Beginning in 1990, the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival has taken various forms and now brings a carefully curated programme of performances from around the world to Edinburgh.
In May 1990 the first Scottish International Children’s Festival opened its doors (well, tent flaps) in Edinburgh’s Inverleith park - with founder Duncan Low having been inspired by a visit to the Vancouver International Children’s Festival, then the largest of its kind. Records show that some 20,476 children and their accompanying adults watched 75 performances of 12 main stage shows, with theatre companies travelling from Zimbabwe, Canada and the Netherlands.
By 2017 the nine-day festival format was established, and the festival was renamed the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, beginning with a weekend of free events in the National Museum of Scotland, including pop-up performances and arts activities.
As well as families, schools from around Scotland were invited to attend the festival, and with fairness in mind this particularly included school children from economically and socially disadvantaged areas.
Each year this warmly inclusive festival draws not only Scottish families and schools but also children’s theatre curators and children’s festival directors from around the world, who look to the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival as an example of excellence in delivering a world-class festival of theatre and dance for children.