About the Festival
The Festival is an annual event for amateur musicians of all ages. We offer competitive and non-competitive classes for instrumentalists, singers and ensembles to perform their pieces in a friendly environment. All our classes are overseen by a specialist adjudicator who provides supportive feedback on the performance.
The Festival was started in 1920 and has been held every year since then with only two exceptions.
The Concerto Class is a unique and special part of our Festival, providing the opportunity for four finalists to perform a movement from a concerto with a full orchestral accompaniment during our final evening concert.
Why enter the Festival?
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Perform in a friendly environment and in a beautiful venue
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Gain a fresh perspective with supportive feedback from an expert adjudicator
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Meet other musicians playing at your level and be inspired by their playing
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Compete for a medal, or enter a non-competitive class - your choice!
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Be part of a tradition of music making dating back to 1920.
The 2027 Syllabus is now online
The 2027 Festival Syllabus is now ready now to download. It is posted online here and is available in paper form at the Music Department of the Edinburgh Central Library. Look out for the many new and interesting classes.
How to Enter
Click on this link to start the entry process.
The link will take you to the Play and Perform website and take you through the registration and entry process.
For more detailed instructions click here.
Dates for your diary.
Concerto first round - Friday 22 January to Saturday 23 January 2027
Concerto Final - Sunday 14 March 2027
Main Festival.
Tuesday 2 March - Sunday 14 March 2027
