Police in Edinburgh have launched their annual policing campaign to keep members of the public safe throughout the International Festival and Fringe. Operation Summer City 2026 will provide a high-visibility police presence within the city-centre between 7 and 31 August, with the Capital’s population expected to double to around one million people during this time. Local officers from Edinburgh, in particular, the division’s new City Centre Policing Unit, will be supported by colleagues from neighbouring local policing divisions, as well as officers from specialist and national departments, including Road Policing, Intelligence, CID and Public Order. Officers utilise a range of resources and also make use of various technology including CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). Superintendent Kathryn Fairfield, Gold Commander for Operation Summer City, said: “The Edinburgh International Festival is the largest festival in the world, given the length of time it runs for, and brings to the city people from all around the globe, all of whom wish to savour the sights, sounds and experiences of the Capital during the summer.