For the second year in a row the tram which had advertised the Royal Highland Show has seen those adverts by some for the Edinburgh Festival. Whereas last year it was 257 which swapped adverts to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, in 2025 it is 267 which changes and it is now carrying vinyls for the Edinburgh International Festival.
The new Edinburgh International Festival advert is a partial type with just the third and fifth sections of the tram having full height adverts with the rest just confined to above the windows. There has been a fair bit of debate recently about the covering of windows on Edinburgh’s trams with adverts but it should be remembered that the sections used are where the luggage racks are supplied on-board the tram meaning the number of passengers impacted by contravision is minimal. The advert publicises the various parts of the Festival including music, theatre, opera and dance.
267 has now carried 12 adverts since its first in 2017 (C R Smith). It’s the second time its publicised the Edinburgh International Festival with a similar design seen between July and September 2023.
This is the seventh time some form of advertising for the Edinburgh Festival has taken place on a tram. This has seen 257 (Book Festival – 2024), 261 (Festival and Fringe – 2017), 264 (Parabola Fringe – 2018-9), 267 (International Festival – 2023 and 2025), 268 (International Festival – 2024) and 277 (International Festival – 2012-2) all carry adverts.
The new look 267 is seen calling at Balfour Street here with a service to the Airport. The general make-up of the advert can be seen in this image.
There are different adverts on each side of the tram. This side shows Music and Opera at the Festival.
Whilst on the other side its Dance and Theatre. This image shows the full height Theatre section with the tram at McDonald Road. (All Photographs by Roy Calderwood, 9th July 2025)