Edinburgh Spotlight loves living in ‘Festival City’ and already has all these dates in its calendar – here’s the rundown of 2012′s festivals.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest TBC for 2012

Paranormal investigations, celebrity ghost hunts and other spooky goings on at The Real Mary King’s Close.

Ceilidh Culture 16 March – 25 April

Edinburgh’s traditional arts festival, featuring music, dance, storytelling and more.

International Science Festival 31 March- 13 April 2012
The International Science Festival features a host of fun and educational events, lectures and attractions celebrating all things scientific.

Beltane Fire Festival 30 April 2012
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival and Edinburgh plays host to some colourful and exciting celebrations to mark the date.

Imaginate Festival 7 – 14 May 2012
The Imaginate Festival is Edinburgh’s children’s festival and has loads of plays, activities and fun things to do for youngsters of all ages.

Leith Festival 8 -17 June 2012
Come and celebrate all things Leith at this festival, featuring music, dance, art and other exciting events.

Edinburgh International Film Festival 20 June – 1 July
The Edinburgh Film Festival is an internationally-renowned event on the movie festival circuit and attracts premieres and stars from all over the world.

Edinburgh International Magic Festival 29 June – 6 July 2012

2012 will see Edinburgh host the third International Magic Festival with a range of performers show-casing their magical talents.

Edinburgh Art Festival August 2 – September 2
Edinburgh Art Festival celebrates the visual arts in all its diversity, from world-class exhibitions to strikingly original installations.

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 28 July – 6 August 2012
Get your gladrags on and party to the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, a popular event which attracts international talent.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 3 - 27 August 2012
Getting bigger, better and – some may say – weirder every year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the highlight of many a festival-goer’s calendar.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 3 – 25 August 2012
Selling out months in advance, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a spectacular event taking place on the Castle Esplanade.

The Edge Music Festival TBC 2012
Adding alternative music to the August festival mix, The Edge Music Festival attracts A-list bands as part of its programme.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace TBC 2012

The Festival of Spirituality and Peace features music, dance, talks and other events highlighting humanitarian issues and causes.

Edinburgh International Festival 10 August – 2 September 2012
The one that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival is a feast of world-class music, dance and theatrical performances.

Edinburgh International Book Festival 11 - 27 August 2012
This literary event attracts major names in the writing, publishing and political fields to the serene Charlotte Square Gardens setting.

Edinburgh Mela Festival 31 August  - 2nd September 2012

Celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, the Mela Festival brings colour and exotic flair to Edinburgh in August.

Scottish Story Telling Festival 19-28 October
Celebrating the great Scottish oral tradition, the Story Telling Festival showcases the talents of national bards, poets and tale-spinners.

Edinburgh’s Christmas TBC – late November – End Dec 2011
Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas and features events, attractions and shows for all the family to enjoy during the festival season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30 December 2012 – 2 January 2013
End the year with the biggest street party in the world!

Edinburgh Mela Shines Again for 2010

Cargo 2010

Edinburgh Spotlight checked out the Edinburgh Mela today at its new permanent home of Leith Links.  Now in its 16th year, and having outgrown its previous home of Pilrig Park, the Mela’s new home at Leith Links is ideal – there is far more space now for dedicated areas and for people to enjoy what the festival has to offer, surrounded by abundant green space. Last year the Mela attracted 25,000 people.

Enjoying mela

With a packed programme for all the family, from the 6th-8th August, the Mela kicked off on Friday night with a preview of the impressive large-scale outdoor performance, CARGO. We caught part of the afternoon show today and were intrigued by what we saw – a fascinating show exploring the universal need to migrate: with unique representations of a world at sea, with quirky props, water, pyrotechnic effects and live music, it mesmerised viewers who ranged from toddlers to seniors. Performances are repeated twice daily and then the show will move on to the Royal Botanic Gardens and eventually tour abroad.
 
The Mela is divided into three main spaces: The Big Top, for music and DJ slots, the Garden Stage for bands, and the Outdoor Space for circus, theatre and performances. There is also a a great variety of workshops for children, from storytelling to acrobatics. Local community organisations are on hand to offer information, with numerous stalls, and festival-goers can indulge in plenty of retail therapy, from clothes and shoes to music and crafts.
 
Food is always a big draw at the Mela and there are a great range of food stalls offering up all kinds of delicious South Asian fare, from curries, kebabs and stews to even Halal haggis dishes. We sampled some excellent chicken curry and chicken tikka with rice, garlic naan and spiced onions from the Mrs Unis stall.  The Pimms tent/beer garden was a popular place to sit and soak up the atmosphere on a sunny afternoon.

Patiala Pipe Band

Our favourites of the day included the incredible feats of the Jaipur Kawa Circus performers from Rajasthan, who wowed the audience with their acrobatics, the entertaining Patiala Pipe Band and of course, CARGO. We also loved the wildcat sculpture created by children from North Edinburgh, which was proving a hit with locals.

Jaipur Kawa Circus

We’d heartily recommend The Edinburgh Mela for a brilliant day out. At £2.50 for an adult day pass, with under-12’s going free, it’s great value. The Sunday programme runs from 12 noon to 9.15pm and will also include a range of sporting activities.

Edinburgh Mela 2010

From August 6 to 8, Leith Links will be the new home to all the colour, spectacle and excitement of the Edinburgh Mela Festival.

Bringing together culture and entertainment from across the world, the Mela has been an Edinburgh festival favourite since 1995, and is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Arts Council.

This year’s event promises to be one of the biggest and best yet. The new location allows room for large-scale events and performances, such as the Jaipur Kawa Circus from Rajasthan, who bring their charming tale of a travelling troupe of entertainers; and the big top tent, which will feature collaborative music, dance and theatre performances.

A highlight of this year’s Mela will undoubtedly be the premiere of CARGO, a large-scale outdoor performance piece dealing with the theme of cultural migration, and which is funded by the Scottish Government. This dramatic physical and multimedia piece will be unveiled at the Mela, before continuing its run during the Edinburgh Fringe.

As well as ethnic food, crafts and family-friendly and children’s events, other highlights of a packed programme include:

• a set from Northern Xposure, a BAFTA nominated brother & sister rapping duo from Edinburgh
• traditional drumming and dance from Guizhou Ethnic Arts from South West China
• Something Relevant, a group from Mumbai playing a fusion of blues, reggae, soul and hip-hop
• The ever-popular Mela Fashion show, featuring Scottish saris from local designers
• a festival-closing set from BBC Asian Network’s DJ Wax

Also new this year is Naturally, Inspired, an innovative new programme shared by the Mela, the Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. Featuring theatre, music, dance and stories inspired by Scotland’s natural landscapes, this exciting cross-festival collaboration will take place at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Edinburgh Mela Festival is one of the city’s best-value festivals, with day passes giving unlimited access only costing £2 in advance, or £2.50 on the day.

So, for a celebration of cross-cultural diversity and some colourful and exciting entertainment, head to Leith Links this year and revel in the atmosphere which the Mela conjures up so well.

Check out the Mela website here. You can also visit the Mela on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Advance tickets for the Mela Festival can be bought from The Hub.

Mela launch 2010