Edinburgh: various venues

This festival within a festival celebrates the breadth of ballet from classic to contemporary. Featuring a diverse mixture of world premières, including work from Scottish Ballet, Scottish Dance Theatre and Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa.

Scotland’s largest annual celebration of visual art offers work by the best contemporary Scottish artists as well as exhibitions of the most important international artists and movements of the 20th century and other historical periods. This year marks the 10th edition of the festival, which will include over 40…

The largest arts festival in the world and the greatest show on earth. Every year thousands of performers take to a multitude of stages all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artists looking to build their careers, the festival caters for everyone and…

The inaugural bike festival lends a bit of sport to Edinburgh's stacked arts and culture festival calendar this year. Alongside nine days of cycling events, from lengthy scenic tours to talks from well-known cyclists to family bike rides, the festival also features a related film and art programme.

Bringing world-class arts to the capital since 1947, the EIF sets the standard for classical concerts, opera, dance and theatre, with performers drawn from around the world. Among this year's many highlights, curated on a theme of art and technology, are Scottish Ballet's Dance Odysseys, Beethoven's Fidelio rocketed into…

The oldest continually running film festival in the world, the EIFF draws on its prestige to consistently present abundant programmes of new features, documentaries, retrospectives, shorts, panel discussions and educational workshops, with a few high profile premieres thrown in for good measure.

MagicFest pulls another rabbit out of the hat with a programme of close-up conundrums, mindboggling illusions, comic cabaret and other feats of the impossible. The festival begins with the Magic and Variety Gala Opening and continues to bamboozle with events and workshops.

Scotland's biggest jazz festival presents over 100 concerts in ten days all over the capital, in parks, churches, clubs and concert halls. With a programme featuring all jazz styles from early jazz to the avant garde, the EJ&BF usually manages to secure some world premières, new bands, and new collaborations.

World music, dance, fashion, food and fun spread over four areas: the Main Music Stage, the Mela World Dance Feste (newly established in 2012), the Mela Mix stage and the Kids Mela. The Mela Global Food Village is on hand to replenish your energy after taking in all the sights and sounds.

Edinburgh's world-famous Hogmanay celebration ushers the new year in with a bang. A Torchlight Procession winds through the historic Old Town and onto a son et lumiere on Calton Hill on 30 Dec, a massive street party with live music from the highest calibre acts culminates with Midnight Fireworks from the ramparts of…

Two day street photography workshop in Edinburgh during the Festival.

Edinburgh's annual Festival of Spirituality and Peace is relaunched in 2013 as Just Festival, comprising 129 events in 28 different venues. There's live music from Chile's Tejas Verdes, music and dance from Soweto Melodic Voices, conversations, film screenings, exhibitions, family events and Edinburgh's first Death Café…

1. Winner: Amused Moose Award - Best Comedy 2012, Fringe World Award - Best Comedy 2013. The Fringe's favourite Frenchman will perform a bespoke hour-long set for the highest bidder, with a routine, time and location of their choice. Bids will be cut off three days before each show, and the winning bidder will be sent…

Previously brings Scotland's history to life in a packed programme of talks, walks, tours, teas, activities, debates, exhibitions, theatre, comedy, art, photography, family history, film, open days and much, much more that will appeal to all ages. 2013 begins with a day devoted to Robert Louis Stevenson.