After the non-event of 2020 and the mini-festival of 2021, Edinburgh is set to roar back in fine style this summer and re-establish itself as the festival capital of the world. While there has been a lot of talk that the pre-pandemic levels of activity in and around Edinburgh during August might never be replicated again (and to be blunt, this might well be a good thing for both the city and the wider environment) the buzz in Scotland's capital come this summer is likely to be deafening.

The whole thing gets underway in earnest across mid to late July with the Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival (15–24 Jul) which is headlined by the starry likes of Jools Holland (accompanied as ever by his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra), Eddi Reader, Ruby Turner and Curtis Stigers. But a strong emphasis of the EIJBF is on the rising stars of the jazz scenes in Scotland, Britain, Europe and far beyond. Meanwhile, Edinburgh itself is not being forgotten, with local community stories playing a vital part of the always popular and often raucous Festival Carnival.

Food is never far away from festival-goers' minds and tummies, and Assembly's Edinburgh Food Festival (late Jul) kicks things off in style in the hub of George Square Gardens with stalls, street food and top industry figures all appearing. Across town in Inverleith Park, the Edinburgh Foodies Festival (5–7 Aug) is also back featuring MasterChef champs such as Daniel Lee and Tom Rhodes while there are also theatre spaces dedicated to Drinks, Cake & Bake, and Kids Cookery.

After returning from its June enclave into the August fold in 2021, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (12–20 Aug) is back in that sweet spot of the calendar with its usual array of premieres, themes and retrospectives as part of Scotland's Year of Stories. Plus there's the EIFF Youth strand which is dedicated to films made by budding cineastes in the 15 to 25-year-old range.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (5–29 Aug) will be back with a vengeance though exactly how it pans out remains a little unclear: will the smaller venues that have often proved to be the heartbeat of the Fringe be allowed to operate at similar numbers of events and attendance figures as before, or will there be a shift of emphasis towards larger spaces? Whatever happens, the Fringe has made it clear that its renaissance is not about replicating its pre- pandemic model but to aim for 'sustainable practices'. One certain focal point will be PoliNations, a pop-up garden on George Street that aims to hail the multicultural origins of both the plants and people of the UK, with immersive installations, talks, live music and performance.

Running in tandem, dates-wise, with the Fringe is the Edinburgh International Festival (5–29 Aug) which promises another innovative and exciting programme of theatre, music, opera and dance, as well as hosting events which are largely unclassifiable. The first shows have already been announced with Alan Cumming starring in a National Theatre Of Scotland celebration of Robert Burns (called Burn) which features music from Anna Meredith, while Adura Onashile takes on the title role in Liz Lochhead's modern adaptation of Medea.

Having relocated in 2021 to Edinburgh College Of Art for a hybrid of live and digital events, the Edinburgh International Book Festival (13–29 Aug) returns to that venue with another vibrant programme which features a natural connection to Scotland's Year of Stories. To get you in the mood, edbookfest.co.uk carries an array of previous festival events in video, photographic and podcast form. Meanwhile, Edinburgh Art Festival (28 Jul–28 Aug) will once again bestow upon the capital a feast of creativity, building on 2021's excellent lineup which included specially commissioned artworks that responded to public and historic sites across the city. Galleries both big and small take part while site-specific events give the festival a more immersive essence.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (5–27 Aug) focuses on the theme of 'voices' for its 2022 return, with a typically colourful mix of music, dance and military precision. With a new creative director leading the show, this year's event aims to draw inspiration from those across the globe who continued to make connections with people these past two years through artistic expression.

Read the full 2022 Guide To Scotland's Festivals at list.co.uk/guides/scotlands-festivals/.