Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Margaret Graham looks ahead to August and champions the behind-the-scenes efforts in today's Edinburgh Evening News.
As I approach the first summer in my new role, it has been very informative meeting many of the people responsible for making our summer festivals happen.
It has also focused my mind on the issues residents have brought to my attention regarding the impact it has on their lives.
We are getting ready, not just to host our 2025 summer festivals, but to show the world what our city can achieve. Teamwork and dedication run deep behind the scenes of our world class events management.
Edinburgh in August is a city like no other, as our residents and visitors enjoy access to thousands of outstanding shows and events. With careful planning and efficient management, working closely with our partners, we welcome the world while keeping our city running smoothly for everyone.
With so many more people in the city, we need to keep public transport moving and manage busy areas throughout the city to keep everyone safe.
The Edinburgh Festivals contribute £407 million to the local economy and 8500 FTE jobs. This figure represents the total economic impact, including spending by visitors and participants, as well as the wider effects on local businesses and jobs.
This year we are enjoying a summer of music too. Robbie Williams performed at Murrayfield in May, the Castle concerts enjoyed beautiful weather and the very successful Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival has just come to a close.
We are looking forward to welcoming rock legends Oasis and AC/DC in August for sell-out shows along with the Summer Sessions at the Royal Highland Centre.
With the city’s population effectively doubling during August, we will once again have a series of summertime street closures in the city centre to make our streets and pavements easier and safer to navigate.
There will be extra trains, trams, and buses to accommodate concert goers, along with those attending our summer festivals. With this in mind our advice to all is to please plan-ahead as we expect both the city centre and Murrayfield area to be very busy.
We endeavour to work hard to understand and balance the needs of residents, visitors and businesses while enabling the summer festivals and major events to take place successfully within the city.
Our role in this is a real source of pride for the council.