It was decided at a recent meeting between the Patrons and the Organisers of the Edinburgh Easter Festival that there would be an important change in the event from 2007 onwards.  However, this change also has impact for those considering accepting a 2006 invitation.

In 2007 the event will be renamed ‘The Edinburgh Spring Festival’.  The Edinburgh Easter Festival has been a tremendous success, but the ever shifting dates of the Easter Holiday have made it difficult for invited groups from overseas to arrange their attendance.  ‘The Edinburgh Spring Festival’ will therefore fall on fixed dates, and if they happen to coincide with Easter occasionally it will be all the better.

Along with this decision the Patrons and Organisers also decided that they would offer a range of programmes to the groups that are invited from overseas that would be less restrictive than the fixed one week programme of touring in and from Edinburgh.

For participating groups in ‘The Edinburgh Spring Festival’ there will be a minimum stay in Edinburgh of four nights.  This is the required duration of stay to allow for proper participation in sufficient aspects of the Festival.  However, groups may, from 2007, spend two nights or more of ‘The Edinburgh Spring Festival’ Programme in an exciting range of European cities – London, Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, or Dublin (this last one subject to certain terms and conditions).

The Organisers felt that it was unfair to announce these exciting options for groups coming from 2007 onwards, and not to permit them to groups who had been invited for 2006.  Therefore, the above options of city linkages are available to groups for 2006 as well.  Even more exciting is the news that the Performance Tour programme prices for 2006 would not vary should any of the cities listed above be selected in partnership with Edinburgh.  Of course, the full six night programme in Edinburgh remains available, and is still recommended.