The Edinburgh festivals have become world reknown and precipitated a series of imitative festivals, especially “Fringe” festivals around the world. What is less well understood is that the Fringe festival, which highlights new acts and marginal actors, evolved and works well because of its contrast and co-occurrence with the original founding festival-Edinburgh International Festival, which emphasizes creative performing arts and artists at the center. It is this interplay between centrality and marginality, between different models of festivals, and the complementarities and tensions that enabled Edinburgh to become the festival city.

Discussant: Andy Pie