Children's Festival Launches 35th Anniversary Programme
Welcome to the 35th edition of the Edinburgh International Children's Festival! 35 years have seen genrations of children attend the festival, with many now returning as parents to share cherishable and transformative experiences with their own children. What an incredible cycle of intercation across generations.
In 2025 we feature 13 productions from 7 countries with a Spotlight on Flanders, a small region with a big reputation for quality and risk taking in theatre for young audiences. We are also proud to present two Scottish commissions from new and established artists.
The programme will provide hidden visual delights, celebrate our natural environment and take us on cultural adventures full of delightful music and surprising language. Woven throughout is the simple joy of play - not only from the perspective of the child but also of adults who lead us on madcap exploraions of what it means to be grown up. Amongst this year’s highlights include:
- Intimate sensory works for babies that will delight young audiences with their beautiful design and gentle interactions. These includes Great Big Tiny World an immersive show filled with sounds and scents taking place in a space filled up with hundreds of plants, or Beneath the Snow which creates a world of white tissue paper from which emerge beautiful creatures.
- Shows for both children and adults, with family pleasers such as Grown Ups and Double You featuring adults behaving badly with hilarious consequence, while The Show for Young Men depicts a funny and moving performance about friendship between a man and a boy.
- A regional focus on Flanders, with four stunning productions representing the vibrant and dynamic children’s theatre scene from this region.
- Two new Expo-funded commissions by Scottish companies, Tongue Twister and The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl, which will be touring Scotland in the lead-up to the Festival. Both focus on celebrating diverse cultures and accepting difference.
- The festival kicks off with a fully accessible Free Family Day of pop-up performances and artists interventions by Scotland-based artists at the National Museum of Scotland.