The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan. Photo: Liu Haifa, courtesy Edinburgh International Festival

It's another acclaimed line-up from artistic director Jonathan Mills, whose themed programmes have continually re-invented the Festival throughout his five-year reign.  In a thought-provoking and subversive twist, Mills' tag-line for 2011 is "to the Far West" - highlighting the journey so many of his performers will make, while subtly reflecting the changed geographies of an ever-evolving world.

What's on this year?

China, of course, has a central role in this year's programme, befitting its status on the modern world's stage.  The flagship of the dance programme is The Peony Pavilion, based on a Chinese love story and fusing Western ballet with traditional Chinese dance.  Over at the Playhouse, a Korean ensemble presents Princess Bari, which similarly mingles traditional art with contemporary styles; Sriyah at the King's promises to bring the rhythms of an Indian temple to Edinburgh, while Drought and Rain - also at the King's - sheds light on the troubled history of Vietnam.

From Japan, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle promises imaginative and innovative theatre, scripted from the award-winning novel by Haruki Murakami.  It is, the programme tells us, a dark and fantastical detective story, crossing the boundary between reality and dreams.  But perhaps the most eye-catching entry in this year's theatre programme is a two-part, six-hour Arabian Nights, performed in three languages and built by an eight-nation creative team.

An intriguing theme-within-a-theme offers new insights on Shakespeare, with a Taiwanese King Lear and Korean Tempest playing simultaneously in the Lyceum and the King's.  Crossing art-forms, the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe present a loose adaptation of Hamlet, featuring traditional Chinese instruments (including, we're promised, a percussion ensemble for the battle scenes).

European companies - which formed the mainstay of so many previous Festivals - are still there to be found, but their work too pays tribute to the Oriental zeitgeist.  The Vlaamse Opera brings us Semiramide, inspired by tales of Babylon, while the Scottish Ballet's Song of the Earth is founded on Chinese poetry - albeit channelled through Mahler.

The classical music programme has often seemed semi-detached from the Festival theme, but this year brings creative Eastern influences to an unmistakably Western style.  The much-awaited Opening Concert features Das Paradies und die Peri, Schumann's interpretation of a Persian myth, while leafing through the Usher Hall programme throws up a few surprises - such as Ravi Shankar, who'll introduce the Edinburgh establishment to the melodies of the sitar.  The popular Queen's Hall lunchtime series makes a welcome return, and - perhaps continuing the theme of filmic fusion which began with Teatro Cinema last year - the Philip Glass Ensemble will accompany a trilogy of films by experimental director Godfrey Reggio. 

Getting the programme

Ravi Shankar. Photo: Vincent Limongelli, courtesy Edinburgh International Festival

If you're in Edinburgh, you can also pick up the programme from The Hub box office on the Royal Mile, from the Tourist Information Centre above Waverley Station or from all major theatres.

Getting the tickets

We've updated our definitive guide to International Festival ticketing with new details for 2011.  Broadly speaking, at this stage of proceedings it's easiest to book online, through the Festival's excellent Hub Tickets facility.  If you prefer the personal touch, the box office is open 6 days a week on 0131 473 2000.

Booking for all events will open at 10am tomorrow, Saturday 2 April - and in a striking difference from previous years, that includes the end-of-festival fireworks concert.  It's worth booking early; many events will remain available until well into August, but a few - especially one-offs like the opening concert - will sell out within days.

To tell how fine you're cutting it, you can check current availability through the online booking system.  Act like you're going to buy a ticket, and you'll come to a screen with a diagram of the venue: then you can wave the mouse over particular areas to see the number of tickets remaining.

Future programme launches

While the International Festival is undoubtedly the most prestigious of Edinburgh's summer events, it's a long way from being the biggest.  In sheer size it's eclipsed by the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which will see around 2,000 shows descend on the city in a mammoth four-week programme.

The Fringe's box office opens in June.  If you'd like us to let you know when its programme's launched - along with details of Edinburgh's other summer Festivals - just sign up for our low-volume mailing list, Ticket Alert.