CULTURE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Te Edinburgh International Festival was famed for its cerebral conservatism. Until Fergus Linehan rode into town and blasted it into space
BY NICOLA STOW H
e’s been named the “most influential figure in Scottish cultural life”, the creative mae- stro who transformed
the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF). But when asked how it feels to direct such a mammoth event, Fergus Linehan’s response is mod- est, and very much to the point: “It’s terrifying,” he says, laughing. “Bloody terrifying.” I caught up with Linehan prior to
the launch of the festival, just as the city was being swathed in canary yellow banners emblazoned with the message ‘Welcome, world’. Tis year marked Linehan’s sec-
ond EIF since he was appointed as its artistic director three years ago. He earned widespread plaudits for his debut festival in 2015, especially
for incorporating contemporary music acts in his line-up and intro- ducing a visual element to the fes- tival. Te spectacular Harmonium Project curtain-raiser saw 19,000 people converge outside the Usher Hall for a sumptuous sound and light show. Yet despite last year’s success, the 46-year-old Irishman described the task of pulling off a dazzling repeat performance as “nerve-wracking”. “It’s what’s known in music
industry parlance as the difficult second album,” he explained. “Te feedback from last year’s festival was amazing – and I was more relieved than anything. But now the pressure is on to match last year’s festival, and that’s a terrifying thought. “I get really nervous, of course
I do. And you have to watch you don’t burn yourself out. On the one hand it’s like a huge party and there are people to host. But you have to
14 | EVENTSBASE | AUTUMN 2016
The spectacular Deep Time son et lumière show lit up Edinburgh Festival and attracted a crowd of 27,000
be careful not to push it too hard because it’s a long month to get through. It’s nuts; all your friends and colleagues are urging you to go out to the pub. I learned last year that it’s probably best to have the occasional early night…because I went out on the town a bit too much and, ooft, I was tired.”
AS IT TURNED out Linehan needn’t have worried; post-festival figures revealed a record-breaking year for the event, generating £4 million in ticket sales. Te line-up fea- tured star turns from Hollywood actor Alan Cumming, Australian
entertainer Barry Humphries, world music star Youssou N’Dour, Scots Mercury Prize winners Young Fa- thers and French circus performer James Tierre – Charlie Chaplin’s grandson. And a 27,000-strong crowd attended the opening event, Deep Time, which saw Edinburgh Castle lit up in a 3D light show to a soundtrack by Glasgow rock band Mogwai. While Linehan dismisses the
idea that he has transformed the Edinburgh International Festival, he does concede that by introducing a broader variety of acts, the event has attracted a wider audience.
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