From 2-25 August 2024, Edinburgh International Festival becomes a hub of international and local talent in the world’s Festival City, presenting a hand-picked programme of world class opera, dance, music and theatre. Cat Power, Jordan Rakei, Chilly Gonzales, Bat For Lashes and more are amongst the names on the 2024 contemporary music line-up, part of a programme that comprises 161 performances from 2000 artists across 42 nations all joined under the theme ‘Rituals That Unite Us’. The theme responds to an overwhelming desire for togetherness from artists and audiences following on from 2023’s question ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’
Reasserting the value of shared experiences, the 2024 International Festival celebrates the practices, traditions and festivities that give us meaning and connect us – as a festival, a city, and as a society. The second year under Festival Director and Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, the 2024 programme offers an increased range of innovative and informal audience experiences, designed to create closer union between artists and audiences.
The 2024 Edinburgh International Festival Contemporary Music Programme:
The programme of contemporary music gigs at Edinburgh International Festival continues to play an increasingly important role. Recognising a responsibility to reflect the full spectrum of society through its performers, the festival commits to showcasing artists who defy conventional labels, delivering a unique line-up that music fans will not quite find anywhere else, year after year.
London’s jazz scene collides with West African folkloric musical traditions in this all-male supergroup, Balimaya Project. Founded by percussionist and Djembe player Yahael Camara Onono, the band creates a soul-stirring style which is grounded in a very personal exploration of heritage and identity.
Indie pop sensation Bat For Lashes unveils new songs in her euphoric art-pop sound, in an early opportunity to experience The Dream of Delphi, her upcoming studio album. Natasha Khan - better known as Bat For Lashes is renowned for putting on a spectacular show, with her unmistakable falsetto, improvised strings, synths and flutes.
In the Edinburgh Playhouse, the infinitely gifted singer-songwriter Cat Power takes on Bob Dylan’s legendary 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” concert. From ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ to ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, this is a song-by-song recreation of Dylan’s setlist, with the first half of the show totally acoustic and the second half in electric.
Piano polymath Chilly Gonzales combines his comedic flair with classical music training. In recent years, he has collaborated with the likes of Feist, Daft Punk and Drake, demonstrating his extraordinary cross-genre flexibility. After teaming up with Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker at the 2017 International Festival, Chilly Gonzales returns to the International Festival stage with his brand-new solo show, Gonzo.
International Festival favourite the GRIT Orchestra play in homage to Martyn Bennett, the great pioneer of modern Celtic fusion. Bennett was a virtuoso of Celtic, Scandinavian, and Islamic traditions with a passion for techno and breakbeat. Conducted by Greg Lawson, the 80-piece orchestra and winner of the Scottish Awards for New Music for innovation in New Traditional Music is bound to push the limits of genre and Celtic culture.
Grammy Award-nominee Jordan Rakei embraces orchestral arrangements, haunting choirs and hypnotic beats. Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, the musicians that made his childhood – namely, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Curtis Mayfield – are the major source of influence for his fifth studio album, The Loop, performed in Edinburgh for his International Festival debut.
American indie pop band The Magnetic Fields return to the International Festival for a very special anniversary. Twenty-five years ago, The Magnetic Fields released their landmark album, 69 Love Songs. Spanning three volumes, the concept album was conceived by baritone Stephin Merritt, who is often described as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation. To mark the album’s anniversary, The Magnetic Fields will perform all 69 songs across two nights.
South London’s Tirzah makes sonically rich music and authentic storytelling to push at the boundaries of pop music. Her latest LP Colourgrade arrived not long after the birth of her second child and is filled with the raw emotion of early parenthood. This critically acclaimed record has cemented her as one of the leading avant-garde musicians in the UK.
In the Serer tradition of West Africa, boys create sacred songs to mark their transition to adulthood. This rite of passage has inspired the Senegalese genre known as mbalax, fusing rock, jazz, soul, Latin and more. Youssou N’Dour has played a pivotal role in shaping mbalax and has amassed a tremendous reputation for his innovative music-making, with Rolling Stone recently ranking him at number 69 on its list of The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time in 2023.
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival said: “As we join forces with the world's greatest artists and bring them here to Edinburgh, we do so with a deeper dedication to our audience. This year the Edinburgh International Festival inaugurates new and reimagined rituals, honouring tradition and innovation, to bind us closer together. We invite you to seek and gather with us this August – there is always something new to discover.”
Venues and dates:
8 August, Usher Hall – Jordan Rakei
11 August, Usher Hall – Chilly Gonzales
13 August, Usher Hall – Youssou N’Dour
18 August, Edinburgh Playhouse – Cat Power
19 August, Queen’s Hall – Tirzah
20 August, Queen’s Hall – Balimaya Project
23 August, Queen’s Hall – Bat For Lashes
24 August, Queen’s Hall – The Magnetic Fields
25 August, Queen’s Hall – The Magnetic Fields
25 August, Edinburgh Playhouse – GRIT Orchestra
For the full programme and ticket information visit www.eif.co.uk/contemporarymusic.
