The Edinburgh Television Festival, a prominent industry event held for five decades, concluded on Friday before relocating to Manchester. Scottish government officials and cultural organizations announced plans to establish a replacement event in Edinburgh, positioning it as an important addition to the city’s August festival calendar.
Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan unveiled the initiative at a launch event, emphasizing Scotland’s screen sector and the new festival’s role in showcasing talent, content, and creative ideas. Former TV festival creative director Rowan Woods is leading consultation efforts on the project. Officials indicated that a pilot version is targeted for August 2027, with expansion planned to reach both content creators and consumers beyond industry professionals alone.
The original Edinburgh TV Festival began in 1976 as a spinoff from the city’s international film festival, developed by director Linda Myles and former Granada TV executive Gus MacDonald. The event gained prominence as a venue where emerging talent could network and studios could discover new content. Notable works that premiered at the festival include the Netflix series Baby Reindeer and Fleabag, which later became a BBC production.
The festival’s relocation followed an open bidding process among UK cities, with Manchester selected as the new host beginning in 2027. Concerns about affordability, accessibility, and sustainability prompted the original decision to offer the festival to other locations. The new Scottish event will be funded by Screen Scotland and delivered through the Fringe Society, with ambitions to incorporate high-profile guest speakers alongside industry programming.
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