A historic collaboration

The three festivals share a common origin. In 1947, in the aftermath of the Second World War, they were founded independently of one another with the same underlying vision: that art has the unique power to unite cultures and offer a common language in a fragmented world. Now, on the eve of their 80th anniversary in 2027, they are joining forces for the first time, combining their artistic visions in a special collaboration and laying the groundwork for future joint endeavours. 

In Edinburgh, founder Rudolf Bing, a cultural pioneer and Jewish refugee, joined civic and artistic leaders to imagine a festival that would transcend political boundaries through a global celebration of the performing arts. Since then, the Edinburgh International Festival has flourished, deepening its commitment to artistic excellence and continuing to bring people of different cultures and viewpoints together every August. 

This vision was shared by Holland Festival founder Henk Reinink who expressed his hope that “combined forces would be able to accomplish something great.” With international cooperation woven into the fabric of its history, Holland Festival wished to bring together art and artists to heal a Europe that had been torn apart. The Festival’s first director, Peter Diamand, successfully delivered on this ambition, with the press noting that ‘Peter Diamand gave Holland its Festival’. After concluding his tenure in 1965, he was then appointed Director of the Edinburgh International Festival. For 78 years, the Holland Festival has been presenting groundbreaking performing arts that have the power to move, connect, and inspire a large and diverse audience to reflect on the world we live in. The festival takes place every year in June.

In France, Jean Vilar, French actor and theatre director, shared this belief and championed popular theatre, advocating that art should be accessible to all, in a time of a divided society . Committed to placing the audience at the heart of creative expression, his view was that theatre should be a public service. Every July, the Festival d’Avignon transforms the entire city into a living stage, presenting a rich programme that highlights new creations and world premieres. Alongside these performances, the festival also offers readings, exhibitions, films and debates which are all designed to foster collaboration and artistic dialogue.

Since their inception, these three festivals have perpetuated this shared ideal every summer: in June in Amsterdam (Netherlands), in July in Avignon (France) and in August in Edinburgh (Scotland).

Nearly eight decades later, the first ever co-production between Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d’Avignon and Holland Festival, Christiane Jatahy’s  A Trial – after An Enemy of the People marks the start of a historic three-year partnership to celebrate their historic 80th anniversary in 2027.  A Trial – after An Enemy of the People is also the first collaboration between acclaimed theatre and film director Christiane Jatahy and award-winning actor Wagner Moura, best known for his Golden Globe–nominated role as Pablo Escobar in Netflix’s Narcos, and Best Actor award winner at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Picking up on Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, written almost 150 years ago,  A Trial – after An Enemy of the People looks at timely ecological and political issues, through the setting of a public courtroom where the theatre audience becomes part of the jury. 

Thematically,  A Trial – after An Enemy of the People addresses urgent questions, deeply relevant today, of growing polarisation and division within societies. The work reminds us that art can transcend borders, disciplines and audiences, offering a necessary place for dialogue. Created by a Brazilian creative team,  A Trial – after An Enemy of the People also brings an important global perspective.Christiane Jatahy returns to the Edinburgh International Festival stage, having previously presented several acclaimed productions, including After the Silence (2024), which explored structural racism and the legacy of slavery in her native Brazil. She has also presented work at the Festival d’Avignon in 2019 and 2021 and is a regular presence at the Holland Festival, where she was Associate Artist in 2024 and presented Hamlet - In the Folds of Time, Crossings, After the Silence and contributed to the opening performance. In January 2022, Christiane Jatahy was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for her body of work in theatre.

Christiane Jatahy, Director, A Trial – after An Enemy of the People, says: ‘For an artist to develop their research, the network of support from festivals and theatres is essential. Without it, ideas fail to take shape, time slips away, and creations never come to life. The support and partnership of Holland Festival, the Festival d’Avignon, and the Edinburgh International Festival have been — and continue to be — fundamental for my artistic dreams to materialize, to become theatre, and to meet the audience.’

Roy Luxford, Creative Director, Edinburgh International Festival, says: ‘The Edinburgh International Festival was founded after the devastation of World War II, to bring together artists and audiences from different nations, promoting cultural unity and international cooperation in the aftermath of the war's devastation. That same year, Holland Festival and Festival d’Avignon were born from the same hope. Nearly eight decades later, 2026 marks the first year of the International Festival’s historic collaboration with our fellow European festivals, as we look towards our shared 80th anniversary in 2027. This creative partnership represents a powerful statement of shared purpose - a belief that when festivals collaborate, we can amplify the voices of artists and connect with audiences on a truly global scale. The International Festival is well placed as an incubator for global talent, and collaborating with our peers allows us to be bigger and bolder, reaffirming Edinburgh’s place as a world-leading hub of the performing arts.’

Tiago Rodrigues, Director, Festival d’Avignon, says: ‘In 1947, three European summer festivals were born, driven by the same conviction: that art could help rebuild what war had shattered. Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Avignon asserted the idea that culture should serve as a tool for cohesion, mutual understanding, dialogue, and peace among peoples. This vision forms their shared identity and common history: to make creation a driving force for connection, exchange, and a shared future in Europe. Eighty years later, that common vision remains a living space, a place to come together, to question and to uphold artistic freedom as an essential force against authoritarianism, in order to keep imagining the world of tomorrow.’

Emily Ansenk, Director, Holland Festival, says: ‘International festivals like Holland Festival, Festival d’Avignon and Edinburgh International Festival are living laboratories of artistic exchange. Artist driven and forward-looking, we co-produce new work that challenges convention and invites risk. Born from the belief that art can bridge what politics divides, these post-war performing arts festivals have evolved into platforms for new voices, challenging ideas, and artistic collaboration that knows no frontiers. Then and now, it reminds us that to cross borders through art is to rediscover our shared humanity.’

A Trial – After the Enemy of the People is the first show to be unveiled for the 80th edition. This creation will be one of the highlights of the 2026 programme and will be presented in a major series of performances lasting over a week.

See you in early April to discover the full programme for the 2026 Festival d'Avignon!