Edinburgh’s festivals face pressures for a ‘rethink’

Council chiefs have said the cancellation of Edinburgh's summer festivals is providing an opportunity to shape their future direction, with more of a focus on "our people, place and environment". With 4 million visitors in the city centre during the summers, heritage experts and others have expressed growing concerns about the scale and unintended side effects of the festivals, including safety issues, environmental damage and the squeeze on affordable housing due to the growth of short-term holiday lets and hotels.