“This year the Edinburgh International Festival celebrates Rituals That Unite Us as we inaugurate new and reimagined rituals,” says the festival director Nicola Benedetti. Beware: this three-week event is not to be confused with the Edinburgh International Film Festival or the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. They just all happen to be in the same month, offer high-quality content, and keep a safe distance from the celebrity-focused, red-carpet dynamic of, say, Cannes. The International Festival features dance, opera, theater, classical music, visual arts, and contemporary music. The 2024 season includes the world premiere of The Fifth Step, David Ireland’s latest play, and the European premiere of Nigamon/Tunai, an immersive theater piece by Émile Monnet and Waire Nina, two Indigenous artists. —Jeanne Malle