EIF 2025: News
EIF news
More tickets released for ‘Make it Happen’
The EIF seems to have a hit on its hands with James Graham’s play ‘Make it Happen’, starring Brian Cox as the ghost of Adam Smith in a dramatization of the events around the Royal Bank of Scotland’s demise in the financial crisis of 2008. Earlier this week I noticed that many performances were completely sold out and now Nicola Benedetti has announced that more tickets have been put on sale. Only the centre front of the Upper Circle was previously in use, so , for the fitter among us, seats in the rest of the Upper Circle are on sale. The cheapest of these (at the back and sides) are £10, while the best buys are those in the front two rows at £25 for the previews on 30th and 31st July and £35 for the rest of the run. I had a Scottish Opera Season ticket there for some years, and found the sightlines satisfactory. Top price tickets eventually cost £100 plus after flexible pricing, and the extra tickets will also be subject to increase.
The canny folk who hoovered up the £15 seats for Dundee Rep’s previews within minutes of them going on sale got the best deal. These previews started yesterday and go on until the 26th.
Guardian preview of ‘The Veil of the Temple’
Flora Wilson, the Guardian’s music critic previews the EIF’s opening concert ‘The Veil of the Temple’. As her title shows she focuses on the musical and logistical challenges of the eight hour work, comparing it to other marathon sings (and sits) and interviews the conductor, Sofi Jeannin and the EIF’s head of music Nick Zekulin about stamina and the practicalities of choral rehearsals. How will audiences cope? Nick Zekulin ends by reassuring Flora Wilson about the comfort of the Usher Hall seats, although when the critic is shocked by the prospect of beanbags in the Stalls, he sticks loyally to the EIF script (“they’re very quiet beanbags…” )
EIF ticket sales
The EIF will, I imagine, be pleased with their ticket sales to date. ‘Make it Happen’ is one of number of sell-out or near sell-out shows which also includes Scottish Ballet’s premiere of ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ also at the Festival Theatre, and, at the Usher Hall, Holst’s Planets, Nicola Benedetti’s concert with the Polish Leopoldinum orchestra, Breaking Bach, the LSO Beethoven and Shostakovich concert, introduced by Nicola Benedetti and Antonio Pappano, and in the Queens Hall, Pappano and Bostridge with LSO players, and Ryan Wang (2024 Young Musician of the Year).
Certainly big name concerts are popular, and with ticket prices reaching over £100, are audiences now prepared to pay extra? It’s hard to say, but there are fewer classical concert this year – the Usher Hall isn’t used for five nights out of 23 - and of the 18 remaining only 11 count as straightforward orchestral concerts. As happened last year, lesser-known orchestras and repertoire don’t sell well and then dynamic pricing leaves most stalls seats around the £60 mark. Look out for unannounced reductions in, for example, the other Leopoldinum concert, and, unexpectedly perhaps, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra Bach and Bartok concert conducted by Ivan Fischer. (I wonder why the EIF didn’t ask them to bring us their Proms performance of Bartok’s ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’).
At the Queen’s Hall, with 20% off three tickets, bargains may still be had for eg Rising Stars of Voice, Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy (on two pianos), English countertenor, Hugh Cutting, and US soprano, Emily D’Angelo, both with interesting recitals.
A number of tickets are kept aside for all EIF events for those with an Access Pass who may buy tickets up to three days before a performance. Any not required go on general sale then - worth looking out for during the Festival.
EIF concerts on Radio 3
Sadly the days are past when we could listen live, or catch up online to 15 Queen’s Hall concerts on Radio 3. The EIF have now listed this year’s broadcast concerts with dates to be announced later. The thirteen concerts include Colin Currie and the Kings Singers, and Ryan Wang from the Queen’s Hall programme, and ‘La Clemenza di Tito’ and ielijah from the Usher Hall. The Radio 3 in Concert programmes (four Usher Hall events and one Queen’s Hall concert) are on at 7.30, and the music is played in its entirety. However the misnamed Classical Live programme at 1pm every day consists mainly of recorded excerpts from concerts, which may be played during the Festival or at any time in the next year – so be alert for a piece by your favourite performer at 2.47 on 3rd of December!
Listen | Edinburgh International Festival
photo credit: David Vintiner
