International Festival Tickets Go On Sale
Tickets for the 2009 Edinburgh International Festival are on sale to the public this Saturday, 4 April at 10am.
This year's hot tickets look set to include: The Opening Concert Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, Wagner's dramatic opera The Flying Dutchman, Handspring Puppet Company and Ricercar Consort's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, the huge operatic setting of Bach's canatas Actus tragicus, Royal Ballet of Flanders mix of classic and hip in The Return of Ulysses, a new work from the Michael Clark Company, the Emerson String Quartet, world premiere of playwright Rona Munro's The Last Witch, wacky Australian road trip Optimism, and macabre theatre on a grand scale Faust.
Tickets for performances start at between £7 and £10, with the highest priced tickets for opera just £64, less than a third of international opera prices and fantastic value for money.
On eif.co.uk you can now see video clips of Festival shows, and for the first time hear sound clips of lots of the music being played in the Usher Hall and Queen's Hall concerts. These extracts, short films of Jonathan Mills talking about the programme and a trailer for this year's Festival help to give audiences more information. Enjoy a taste of the experience and try before you buy.
Jonathan Mills, Festival Director, said: ‘I hope people will take the Festival as an opportunity to escape from the everyday and immerse themselves in the experience. There is a great diversity of shows and artists in the Festival this year and I believe there truly is something for everyone; the comedian Frank Woodley appearing in Optimism, a wild road trip and look at the no-worries bravura of the Australian swagger; choreographer Michael Clark's new work inspired by the music of David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop; recitals from Bryn Terfel and Willard White; and Herbert Wernicke's stunning setting of Bach in an enormous opera production called Actus tragicus. I look forward to welcoming you all in August. We want people to take the opportunity to see these great works and superb artists at what are remarkably competitive ticket prices starting at just £8.'
Jackie Westbrook, Director of Marketing and Communications said: ‘Our website eif.co.uk now has lots of new features. Get a sense of the productions, including dance, opera and theatre from Flanders, South Africa, and New York, by watching short video clips. Listen to extracts of music being played at the Usher Hall and Queen's Hall or hear the Festival Director give an introduction to the Festival. It all helps you to make up your mind about what to see and maybe you'll feel encouraged to try something new.
‘Buying your ticket online is easy and means you can book whenever you want to. And not only that but you can select the very seat you want to sit in. We sell over 50% of our tickets online these days, and we are working hard to continue improving this resource for customers.'
Tickets available from 10.00am Saturday 4 April for the Edinburgh International Festival at The Hub