I can safely say, without the fear of being rebuked, that the annual Edinburgh Festival has truly become an iconic staple within the Scottish, and of course British, calendar. Year after Year the fringe succeeds in satisfying the performance-hungry pallets of audiences from around the world who flock to the capital to catch the world-class festival.

And this year is no exception.

Scotland’s talent, culture, arts and of course it’s iconic historical site are what make Scotland such a definitive nation. The fringe is a prime example of this and a key event which the Scottish treasure and host with immense pride.

The 2009 Fringe has , without doubt, excelled previous years. With an incredible number of class acts gracing the stage across the city, the Fringe offers an experience unlike any other, an experience only Edinburgh could pull off with such ease. The festival organisers truly deserve commending. They practice what they preach and deliver what they promise every year without fail. What i believe achieves the festival’s greatness is not only the legendary acts which return to the festival every year but also the immense emphasis on the new young talent the British ,and of course nations around the world, proudly present to audiences across the city. So while i hope you festival-goers enjoyed a selection of your old favourites, i would like to think you took a couples of chances with your choices, experiencing the new and fresh talent the fringe plays host to. However if you didn’t, i could safely assume you thoroughly enjoyed every minute of your experience, soaking up all the festival has to offer you and hopefully you will be making a speedy return to the capital next year.

HOLLIE GALLEN, HOT-EL APARTMENTS

Tens of Thousands of daring revellers flock once again to the fields of Balado for this years t in the park this weekend. Yes,  July has arrived, bringing with it the much anticipated  festival season to the delight of ticket-holders. So as many young ravers get their Ray-bans and tents at the ready, an extensive line-up of many great acts prepare to rock the many stages of the festival and whip the crowd into a frenzy in the true T way. Such bands include headliners The Killers, Golden-oldies Blur,  rockers Kings of Leon and Paisley-born Paolo Nutini to name just a few. So if your lucky enough to hold a ticket, you can be sure to avoid disappointment this year with the great line-up preparing to set the stage alight. However, if the knee-deep-in-mud experience resembles your worst nightmare there is no need to fret, as you can catch all your favourite bands on the BBC with extensive live footage fronted by Festival veteran Edith Bowman and Radio One’s quirky youngster Nick Grimshaw. So be prepared to be enticed on a rock-and-roll ride as T in the Park returns for yet another summer.

HOLLIE GALLEN, HOT-EL-APARTMENTS.COM