Edinburgh Plans New Screen Festival for 2027

A new screen festival is planned for Edinburgh in August 2027, replacing the Edinburgh TV Festival which ends its 50-year run in the city this week. The initiative was announced by Scottish Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan and will be developed by Screen Scotland and the Fringe Society.

McAllan revealed the plans at a launch event, stating the new festival would build on Edinburgh's position as a global showcase. "This exciting addition to the August festivals line-up will provide a new way to embrace the creativity and cultural innovation which makes our capital unique," she said. The minister noted that planning began immediately after she was briefed on the TV festival's departure following the May election.

Development and Vision

Initial research is underway, with further consultation to be led by Rowan Woods, the former creative director of the Edinburgh TV Festival. Few concrete details are available, but the ambition is to create an event that expands beyond industry professionals to include audiences. It will also look beyond traditional film and television towards global content industries.

A pilot version is hoped for August 2027. The wider festival ecosystem has changed, with concerns over affordability and accessibility leading the TV festival to seek a new host city. Edinburgh was beaten by Manchester, which will host the event from 2027.

The Fringe as a Launchpad

Writer and performer Richard Gadd, whose Netflix hit Baby Reindeer was first discovered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, spoke at the event. He credited the Fringe for his career. "Everything I have in my life, I owe to this festival," Gadd said. He warned that if the Fringe becomes "too expensive, too commercial," it could lose its essential role as a place where ideas launch careers.

Gadd listed numerous successes that began at the Fringe, including Fleabag, Taskmaster, and Black Watch. Fleabag was first a theatre show there before BBC development, as was Hannah Gadsby's Nanette before Netflix. The TV festival, which began as a spin-off from the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1976, historically used the final week of the arts festivals to network and scout for new talent and shows.

Legacy and New Debate

Separately, Screen Scotland plans to establish a new debate named after Linda Myles, who co-created the original TV festival with Gus MacDonald. The Linda Myles Debate will honour her belief that Edinburgh is the place for rigorous screen industry debate. "I'm deeply touched and honoured," Myles said, noting the recognition of ideas and discussion aligns with the 1976 festival's initial intention.

The outgoing TV festival, run by a London-based foundation since 2001, attracted over 2,000 delegates. It retained features like the MacTaggart lecture, delivered this year by YouTube's Vice President Pedro Pina, who outlined vast changes in the TV landscape since the festival began.