Edinburgh festival cancelled for the first time in more than 70 years

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, billed as the “biggest celebration of arts and culture on the planet,” has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Executive Shona McCarthy said in a statement.

Four other festivals also slated to take place in the Scottish capital in August have been cancelled:

• Edinburgh Art Festival
• Edinburgh International Book Festival
• Edinburgh International Festival
• Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo