Tuesday June 23rd 2026
Edinburgh International Festival Director and Grammy-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh International Festival Director Nicola Benedetti has announced that this year’s festival will be ‘phone free’ as she makes calls to protect live performance from disruption.
Highlighting that ‘phones are disruptive’, the festival director and Grammy-winning violinist has said ‘lights down, phones off’, joining many other artists in the stand against phones at live performances.
After joining as director in 2023, Benedetti explained that the policy has come at the request of artists and audiences, highlighting that ‘phones disrupted every single concert in our Queen’s Hall chamber series’ in 2025.
She follows in similar footsteps to popular artists such as Swedish rock band Ghosts, icon Bob Dylan and American singer Phoebe Bridgers who recently announced a complete mobile phone ban at all of her concerts.
Benedetti explained: “Live performance is unlike anything else, and the Edinburgh International Festival is here to protect the rarity of this experience. The power of our programme is intensified by the tangible, collective presence of everyone in the room, and we want you to be with us fully.
“When the lights go down and the performance starts, we would like phones to disappear from our hands, minds and ears. Views on this have been widely and boldly expressed in recent months and we are acting in communion with our beloved audiences, and extraordinary artists.”
Despite not imposing as strict a ban as some artists, such as Bob Dylan, the festival will ask you to mute or turn off your phone if you are caught breaching the policy.
Despite this, the festival explained that “before the performance begins, feel free to snap a photo, send that last message, or share the moment online. The same goes for the interval or curtain call. But during the performance itself, take the opportunity to be fully present.”
Benedetti added: “We believe that live performance is most powerful when artists and audiences are in real communion with one another. On or off the stage, we all have a role to play. We’re asking for your full attention so we can give you something unforgettable.”
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