Record year for festival

THE Edinburgh International Festival has enjoyed a record year at the box office, organisers today said.

The festival will draw to a spectacular end tonight with a massive fireworks display over the Scottish capital.

The final figure at the box office is estimated to be £2.63 million.
"So many people have drawn together to put on a fantastic Festival," festival director Jonathan Mills said today.

"I would like to thank our funders, our sponsors and supporters, the audiences, the staff and of course the artists for giving us a tremendous three weeks of performances."

The sales increase, estimated at a 7% rise on last year, has been put down in part to the widespread popularity of the dance programme.

Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray became the biggest-selling dance event in the Festival's history, with the sell-out show being seen by more than 13,000 people.

One in three events at the festival sold out.

International bookings for Festival 08 were up 3% on 2007, coming from all corners of the world, with a significant increase of bookers from the Eastern fringes of Europe.

Last week the Festival Fringe announced a 10% drop in sales, with problems in a new computerised ticketing system partly to blame for the fall.

Two days later Fringe director Jon Morgan announced his resignation.

More than 100,000 fireworks will explode over the Scottish capital tonight to the strains of live orchestral music to bring the curtain down on the festival.

The 45-minute display has attracted in excess of 250,000 spectators in previous years, watching from vantage points across the city.

This year, organisers have used over four tonnes of explosives and come up with hundreds of firing sequences, including the famous waterfall cascading from Edinburgh Castle.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra will perform a selection of European folk music, conducted by Nicolae Moldoveanu.

Two large screens will be set up in Princes Street Gardens for spectators to watch the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert, which begins at 9pm.

Mr Mills said the display was a "spectacular way to celebrate the end of the Festival season.

"There is a fantastic atmosphere in Princes Street Gardens and across the city, where crowds gather to watch the display."