Tynecastle 'Hollywood Bowl' concert opens festival season
Edinburgh is full of the buzz of festival season as tens of thousands of tourists and performers pack into the city.
The curtain rises on the International Festival tonight (Fri) at the Hearts ground Tynecastle where the LA Philharmonic will perform classic tunes from Hollywood movies.
Thousands of free tickets for the concert were snapped up in just 90 minutes.
Festival Director, Fergus Linehan told Forth News, "They are used to doing these big outdoor concerts so we thought about how we could replicate the big Hollywood Bowl experience.
"Then I was down at the football and I thought this would be a terrific spot for that."
The Fringe, which is the world's largest arts festival is also beginning, featuring a host of comedy favourites including Frank Skinner, Eddie Izzard and Russell Howard.
The event is the third biggest ticketed event on the planet, beaten only by the Olympics and World Cup.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will add to the entertainment with nightly performances on Edinburgh Castle esplanade until August 24.
Producers said this year's theme, Kaleidoscope, is designed to showcase the brilliant uniforms, costumes and formations that make the Tattoo world-famous.
Police Scotland said officers have been working with festival security staff to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival season for everyone.
They said the community could help by reporting any suspicious activity.
Inspector Derek Callan said: "I'd like everyone to have the confidence to tell us of anything that seems out place, unusual or doesn't seem to fit in with day-to-day life.
"Reporting won't ruin lives, but it could save them.
"If you see us in and around the festivals, there is nothing to worry about, come and say hello and talk to the officers to find out more.