Edinburgh International Festival line up unveiled
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Sir Ian McKellen will perform extracts from his best-loved roles and recall moments from his life and career
Sir Ian McKellen, Jarvis Cocker and Stephen Fry are among the stars appearing at this year's Edinburgh International Festival.
Names from classical and contemporary music, theatre, opera and dance are among 2,600 artists taking part.
Actor Sir Ian McKellen will perform extracts from his best-loved roles and recall moments from his life and career over four dates at the Assembly Hall.
The 72nd festival takes place between 2 and 26 August.
Jarvis Cocker will perform a concert at Leith Theatre
Stephen Fry will perform Mythos: A Trilogy, based on his book
Musician Jarvis Cocker will perform at Leith Theatre which hosts concerts with a number of artists including Anna Calvi, Kate Tempest, Neneh Cherry, Sharon Van Etten and Teenage Fanclub.
The city will also welcome Stephen Fry performing Mythos: A Trilogy, based on his best-selling book, as well as two Berlin opera houses in Komische Oper Berlin and Deutsche Oper Berlin.
A ballet dancer at the launch of the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival programme at Tynecastle Park, the venue for the festival's opening event
Scottish Ballet will have the world premiere of their production of The Crucible at the Edinburgh Playhouse, coming in the company's 50th anniversary season, while Glasgow actor James McArdle will star in Peter Gynt at the Festival Theatre.
The 72nd festival will open with the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing film soundtracks in a special free concert for 15,000 people at Tynecastle Park, the home of Heart of Midlothian FC, where the EIF programme was launched on Wednesday morning.
A ballet dancer was joined by musicians from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the launch of the festival programme
Fergus Linehan, EIF director, said: "At the end of the first Edinburgh International Festival in 1947, conductor Bruno Walter wrote that the festival has succeeded because 'it was of the utmost importance and most to be desired that all the ties, which had been torn, should be re-united'.
"With artists and audiences from all over the world gathering to celebrate each other's music, theatre, dance and art, we hope that the 2019 International Festival will offer a refreshing dose of generosity, inclusiveness and optimism."