What to expect at the 2023 Edinburgh International Children's Festival
The Edinburgh International Children's Festival is back in Edinburgh from 27 May to 4 June with an exciting programme for young audiences including circus, theatre, music explorations and dance.
New experiences for little ones
Whether it's world leaders throwing tantrums in BullyBully, a little girl who's finding her way in the world in You are Here or an acrobat jumping, falling and playing with sound and some giant speakers in Murmur, little people are in for a treat this year, with shows full of joy specially created to spark the imagination.
Stimulating topics for enquiring minds
We have performances with big ideas, epic stories and exciting themes for older ones, exploring gender stereotypes in The Problem with Pink, examining difference and compassion in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings or learning to fly to escape the climate crisis in Too Close to the Sun.
The best of physical theatre and circus
And physicality is at the heart of the programme this year, with farcical non-sense and circus acrobatics performed in a yurt in Udul, nerve-wracking experiments, balance and destruction in Der Lauf or wordless comedy of a routine office life gone upside down in 9 to 5.
A free pop-up performance day
The Festival will once again host Festival Family Encounters, a day [Saturday 27 May] of free pop-up performances and artist interventions for families in the beautiful settings of the National Museum of Scotland – an ideal way to get creative and experience exciting new ideas from local artists. The programme will also feature two new commissions in partnership with Merchant City Festival.