The free programme is dedicated to the people of Edinburgh as a thanks for hosting the festival over the decades. The festival opens on Friday, August 5, at 9.30pm, when MACRO takes to the stage at BT Murrayfield joined by circus company Gravity & Other Myths, First Nations dance company Djuki Mala, the National Youth Choir of Scotland and other Scottish musicians. The 15,000 free tickets are now available for this event via the Edinburgh International Festival’s website. From July 4, tickets for a second fantastic free event will go live. The Philadelphia Orchestra, led by conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will perform a concert entitled Thank You, Edinburgh at the Edinburgh Playhouse on August 27. This concert will also be broadcast live to the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens for those who didn’t manage to grab a ticket. While the festival will be a tribute to Edinburgh and its people, the free events will extend solidarity to the citizens in Edinburgh’s twin city, Kyiv, and the people of Ukraine. Indeed, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Scottish Government will welcome the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra for a free concert at the Usher Hall. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, made up of world-renowned Ukrainian musicians alongside Ukrainian members of European orchestras and recent refugees to Scotland, will perform on August 6. To find out more about these and other exciting free events, visit the EIF website. Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary