The official line-up to the 2012 Edinburgh International Festival has now been unveiled.

Almost 3000 artists from 47 nations including Russia, Brazil, Japan, America, Chile, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia, India, Ireland, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, South Africa, Venezuela, and of course Scotland and the rest of the UK gather to share the live experience of theatre, dance, opera and music with audiences from approximately a third of the world’s nations.

Included in the line-up for this year, British Council Scotland, in collaboration with the Edinburgh International Festival Society, is proud to present Encounters; a series of 11 talks which will discuss the ideas and themes explored through the performances at this year's festival. This follows the successful Continental Shifts series of talks which were held during the 2011 Edinburgh International Festival.

Launching the Edinburgh International Festival programme for 2012, Festival Director Jonathan Mills said,

‘Every year, since 1947 we have set out to create an event to inspire and uplift audiences.

In the words of Sir John Falconer, Lord Provost of Edinburgh at the time, the Festival exists to “provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit”. In hard times as well as good the Festival remains one of the world’s most important examples of the power of culture and the arts to transform individual ambitions and lives.

We rejoice in our partnership with the Olympic Games. A partnership that exemplifies the greatest sporting and finest cultural celebrations in the world standing shoulder to shoulder in the same country. I urge you all to join us in Scotland’s stunning capital this August.’

The 2012 Edinburgh International Festival officially opens on Thursday 9 August and will run for a little over three weeks, when it will culminate with the spectactular Virgin Money Fireworks Concert on Sunday 2 September.

Further information can be found on the festival's official website.