I have always said that Musselburgh is perfectly situated between Capital, coast and countryside, and every August we are lucky to have the Edinburgh Festivals and Fringe on our doorstep.

The Edinburgh East & Musselburgh constituency that I represent stretches from the Musselburgh Racecourse to the Usher Hall, where it was fantastic to attend the opening concert of the International Festival this weekend.

I was last in the Usher Hall in the depths of the pandemic when it was a Covid test centre. How wonderful that we can all be back together and share the collective experience of performance again.

The theme this year is the ‘Rituals that unite us’, which emphasises the importance of community and the everyday rituals in our lives. The Festival and the Fringe unite our city and the thousands of visitors in the celebration of creativity and shared joy of music, dance, theatre and comedy.

Of course, the Festival does not stop at the Edinburgh boundary as Fringe events are hosted in Musselburgh and beyond.

Ian Murray MP, the new Secretary of State for Scotland and I toured some of the Fringe venues, meeting the staff who deliver this unique celebration of arts and culture each year.

The arts should be accessible to all. As your MP, I am looking forward to working with the Edinburgh International Festival and others to ensure that everyone in the wider area feels the benefit.

As the biggest arts festival in the world opens, I am concerned that the Brunton Theatre remains closed.

I know many of you have raised this with me and were saddened to see the Bistro close it doors.

The staff have done an incredible job recently to find other venues for its fantastic programme of events but this much-loved institution must have a future in Musselburgh.

I will be meeting with leadership of East Lothian Council in the coming weeks and a progress report on when and how we can get the Theatre open will be on the agenda.

From the Musselburgh Festival to the Edinburgh Festival, there are many rituals which unite us, please make sure you go along and enjoy!