How to Book 

Pre-sale booking for five flagship events at the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival opens from 12noon on 20 November 2025 for our Gold Ambassadors. 

Our members enjoy priority booking. Join today to choose the best available seats before tickets go on general sale. 

Book Your Pre-sale Tickets

Booking opens at 12noon on the following dates:

• Gold Ambassador booking opens Thu 20 Nov
• Silver Ambassador & Ambassador booking opens Fri 21 Nov
• Gold and Silver Friend booking opens Mon 24 Nov
• Friend booking opens Tue 25 Nov
• General on sale booking opens Thu 27 Nov

This pre-sale period lasts until 12noon on 25 December 2025. Booking reopens in March 2026 following the full programme announcement.

Online Booking

If you have booked with us before, you should be able to log in with the same email address and password that you previously used.

If you've forgotten your password, you can request a new password by clicking the ‘Forgotten your password?’ link on the account page.

Telephone Booking 

Telephone booking opens 27 November – 24 December,  Monday to Friday from 12noon-4pm.
For Telephone: +44 (0)131 473 2000 
BSL Interpreted: Convo

In-person Booking 

Customers with access requirements can request an in-person appointment to book tickets by emailing [email protected] or calling +44 (0)131 473 2056. Appointments are limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

Ticket Prices & Fees

Tickets are non-refundable. Optional ticket protection is available, allowing you to recoup 100% of the paid ticket price (including booking fee) if you are unable to attend your event for a number of unforeseen reasons. Find out more.

Ticket prices are inclusive of all booking fees. H​owever, events at Edinburgh Playhouse will incur a £2 restoration fee per ticket, and booking for events at The Lyceum will incur a £1.95 restoration fee per transaction. If you choose to receive tickets by post, a £3 charge will be applied

Ticket prices may vary from previously published prices, according to demand. This flexible pricing model helps fund our affordable ticketing initiatives.

Access Information

Register your access requirements with us by signing up to our free Access Pass. This allows you to book online for a range of accessible seating options, such as wheelchair user spaces, seats with additional legroom, and seats with good views of a BSL interpreter or captions.

Access Pass Members receive the Access Guide in Spring, which is produced alongside our brochure with detailed information about venue access and our accessible performances programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs for Pre-sale

Q: What 2026 concerts and performances are going on sale in November 2025?

A: We have an exceptional line-up next year, so we want to give audiences the opportunity to secure tickets for a selection of major international acts before Christmas. This is a chance to book some unmissable events early while we finalise the rest of the programme, which will be announced in March. You can book for:

• A Trial – after An Enemy of the People
• Zurich Opera House: A Masked Ball
• San Francisco Ballet: Mere Mortals
• Berliner Philharmoniker: Elgar & Tchaikovsky
• Berliner Philharmoniker: Closing Concert

Q: When are you launching the full programme and putting it on sale?

A: The full 2026 programme will be announced in March 2026, with public on-sale at the end of March. Members will receive priority booking access in March ahead of public on-sale.

FAQs for Members’ Priority Booking

Q: When are the November priority booking dates? 

A: November priority booking dates for members are listed at the top of this page.

Q: Will I get priority booking access to tickets as part of my membership?

A: Yes. All members enjoy priority booking for both the November pre-sale and the general on-sale in March 2026. Members also get no-fee ticket exchanges on all ticket bookings, subject to availability.

Q: Do I have to book these shows now, or can I wait until March?

A: We are anticipating high demand for these flagship events so advise audiences to book early to secure the best seats. We will hold back a limited number of tickets for the general on-sale period in March 2026, at a range of prices, so you can wait until then to book all of your 2026 performances together if you wish.
 

Q: Can I become a member now and get priority booking in November?

A: Yes, you can purchase membership up until the final day of priority booking and get instant access to priority booking. Membership is linked to your Edinburgh International Festival online account, so you must use the same email address that you used to purchase membership to purchase tickets during priority booking. You can join as a member on our membership page or by calling the Membership Office on +44 (0)131 473 2065.

FAQs Refunds & Exchanges

Q: How does this affect your refund policy? 

A: Tickets are non-refundable except in the event of cancellation of a performance. We encourage you to purchase optional ticket protection, allowing you to recoup 100% of the paid ticket price (including booking fee) if you are unable to attend your event for a number of unforeseen reasons. Find out more.

Q: How do ticket exchanges work?

A: Tickets can be exchanged for another performance of the same event, subject to availability. If the new ticket is a higher price than the original purchase price, you will need to pay the difference. Per our refund policy, we are unable to refund the difference in price if the new ticket is a lower price than the purchase price. A ticket exchange administration fee of £1.50 per ticket applies; this fee is waived for all members. Tickets can be exchanged up to 48 hours before the start of the performance you have initially booked for; we cannot exchange tickets closer to the performance start time.

Q. How long can I use the no-fee ticket exchange benefit as a member? 

A: The no-fee ticket exchange benefit applies throughout the 2026 Festival booking period, up to and during the Festival itself. We will review how it’s used following the 2026 Festival before confirming future arrangements.

FAQs Gift Vouchers

Q: How do I buy gift vouchers for 2026 Festival? 

A: Gift vouchers can be purchased on our website up to value of £200. They can also be bought by phone from our Box Office.

Q: Are they for specific shows? 

A: No, gift vouchers hold a monetary value rather than being tied to particular performances. They are valid for 24 months and can be redeemed against tickets for any event at Edinburgh International Festival.

Q: Can I give a membership as a gift? 

A: Yes, all Friend Circle and Ambassador Circle memberships can be purchased as a gift for someone else. You can purchase a gift membership on our membership page. They can also be bought by phone from our Membership Office on +44 (0)131 473 2065.

General FAQs

Q: How do I receive my tickets?

A: There are four ways to access your ticket:

• Email: Your tickets will be emailed as PDF documents after you make your purchase. You can display the PDF ticket on your mobile for entry – no need to print.
• SMS: The tickets will be sent via SMS on the day before your event. Ensure your account has your current mobile number to receive the SMS.
• Mobile Wallet:  You will receive a link to add your tickets to Google or Apple Wallet in your order confirmation email. You can also add tickets to your mobile wallet anytime via your account.
• Post:  If you opt to have your tickets sent to you by post, please make sure you take them with you to the performance. There is a £3 postal charge to receive your tickets via post.

If you need help with anything that isn’t covered here, please get in touch.

Q: I have access requirements, how can you help?

A: You can find out all about our access provisions on our Access page. If you need any assistance at any of our venues, please speak to a member of staff.

Q: Are ticket prices likely to change?

A: From March 2026, ticket prices can go up or down incrementally after they go on public sale, based on demand.

We offer a range of prices to suit different budgets. When some people are willing to pay more for premium tickets—especially for in-demand shows—it directly helps us offer more affordable options for others. We're committed to making the Festival accessible, which is why:

• More than 50,000 seats will be £30 or less
• Every single performance has £10 tickets available for those that need them
• We offer a range of generous discounts on our full-price tickets. D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people and under 18s can save 50%, and we offer a 30% discount for arts workers and under 30s
• We also offer a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more people
• Free tickets are available to essential companions, young musicians and singers, NHS workers, low-income benefit recipients and charity workers

Find out more. 
 

Q: Do you provide content guidance or highlight sensitive content?

A: We offer content guidance to help you decide whether a performance is suitable for you and your party to attend. We aim to do this without sensationalising or giving away important plot twists or surprises.

Content guidance includes health-based warnings (like strobe lighting) and information about sensitive subject matter that might be depicted or referenced. We strive to keep our guidance clear and straightforward.

Keep in mind that as productions evolve through rehearsals and previews, the content guidance may change between booking your ticket and seeing the performance. This is particularly common when we are presenting the world premiere of a new production.

Content guidance will be updated on each event listing on our website. We also include content guidance in pre-show emails and display it at our venues. Feel free to ask a member of our front of house team at the venue for further details.