Photo: Laurent Philippe/CCN Creteil Cie Montalvo-Hervieu

Universally recognized as one of the world's most important cultural celebrations, the EIF runs a largely high-brow programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance. Based in a half-dozen major theatres and concert halls across the city, it combines the innovative and the traditional: Shakespeare takes his place alongside brand-new theatre, and ballet lines up next to stunning contemporary dance. It has a reputation, too, for ambitious and spectacular staging - the failure of which has led to more than one embarrassing cancellation in recent years.

The musical component is no less noteworthy. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and resident Edinburgh Festival Chorus are joined by symphony and chamber orchestras from across the world, in a programme which sees a major concert or two almost every day. Incoming director Jonathan Mills has brought an emphasis on early music to the 2007 event, including a series of recitals in the evocative setting of historic Greyfriars Kirk.

But none of this comes cheap, of course, and despite sincerely-meant attempts to "open up" the Festival it remains a largely exclusive preserve. The best tickets for the premier events are well over £50 - though to be fair, they can go down to £10 if you don't mind where you set. It's great value when you consider that only a quarter of the Festival's costs are met through ticket sales, but a trip to the EIF will still make a bigger dent in your wallet than the other entertainment you'll find in Edinburgh at Festival time.

It's a deep irony too that the International Festival, without which none of Edinburgh's other offerings could exist, accounts now for less than 15% of combined ticket sales. Still and all - as it celebrates its sixtieth birthday, the EIF remains the jewel at the centre of Edinburgh's festival crown.

Photo: On Danse.  Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu.  Choregraphy: José Montalvo et Dominique Hervieu.  Sponsored by Standard Life