Popular summer festivals in United Kingdom

National Eisteddfod of Wales, North or South

From singing, reciting, and dancing to food and football, The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the biggest traveling folk festival in Europe that can be traced back to 1,176 when it is said that the first festival was held under the auspices of Lord Rhys at his castle in Cardigan.

Held each year in late July to early August, this grand gathering involved poets and musicians from all over the country, who would perform and the best be awarded after with a chair at the Lord's table, a tradition that prevails in the modern day National Eisteddfod.

Following 1,176, many eisteddfodau were held throughout Wales under the patronage of Welsh gentry and noblemen. At the beginning of the 19th century, an Eisteddfod of historical significance was held at the Ivy Bush Inn in Carmarthen, when the Gorsedd of Bards first became officially associated with this national event. By this time, the Eisteddfod had developed in to a fully-fledged folk festival on a large scale that is now alternatively held in North or South Wales.

Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh

Well, I’m sure this one does not need a special introduction, as this is one of the most known international fine art festivals in Europe that usually draws the true art appreciators and art creators from around the world in mid August to early September.

Every August, the Edinburgh International Festival transforms one of the world's most beautiful cities, presenting three exhilarating weeks of the finest creators and performers from the worlds of the arts - for everyone.

Edinburgh's six major theatres and concert halls, a few smaller venues and often some unconventional ones too, come alive with the best classical music, theatre, opera, dance and visual art from around the globe.

The atmosphere in the city is something special. The Daily Telegraph once said it is ‘not just the most thrilling, beguiling, preposterously enjoyable place on Earth; it is also wonderfully addictive.'

The Edinburgh International Festival has been connecting audiences and artists for over sixty years. Founded in 1947, the Festival, being the first of its kind, grew out of the rubble of the WWII with the aim of providing 'a platform for the flowering of the human spirit'. The Festival inspired people to put on shows of their own right from the start, and these grew into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Check out for other 12 major annual festivals in Edinburgh here, the Festival City.