Cultural festivals reflect the times we live in, so it's natural that Edinburgh, home to the world's largest arts festival, should be a noisy mix of opinions.
Those first festivals - the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe - began in troubled times and today, it's no less turbulent with global issues like the invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza war, climate change and identity politics shaping the conversation.
The festivals are also full of young performers, visitors and support staff who bring their own political views to the mix.
Having covered this festival for almost three decades, I know it's not for the fainthearted - this shouty, polarised place in August.
But it's always been this way.
