The BBC has announced its Edinburgh Festival plans for 2025, promising an “exciting line-up of comedy, music, arts and literature as well as a daily dose of news reporting across television, radio and online”.

That’s despite the BBC cutting back its presence at the Festival this year, including axing its own pop-up venue that has been part of Edinburgh’s festival month for fourteen years.

Outlining the broadcaster’s planned activity at the Festival this August, BBC Scotland’s Louise Thornton says “this year’s programme brings together some of our most popular BBC Scotland titles alongside much-loved shows from across the wider BBC network – offering a vibrant mix of comedy, music, literature and the arts”.

One thing that is returning this year is ‘Edinburgh Unlocked’, the Mark Nelson presented show that provides coverage of the Fringe and wider festival, available on the BBC Scotland channel and via the BBC iPlayer.

From the International Festival, BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting fourteen concerts and recitals from The Usher Hall and the Queen’s Hall, including a concert by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on 21 Aug.

Although the Beeb won’t have its own venue this year, it will be setting up shop at the EICC and Pleasance Beyond form 4-8 Aug to record a bunch of programmes for BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4. And ‘The Big Scottish Book Club’ will host conversations with writers and authors at The Leith Theatre over the full three weeks of the Festival.

Thornton concludes, “Whether you’re joining us in person or tuning in from wherever you are, the BBC is proud to share the very best of the festivals with audiences across the country”.