Wednesday June 24th 2026
Ross Atkins speaking at the 2024 festival
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh’s TV Festival is to relocate to Manchester in the aim to ‘radically reduce’ costs after 50 years in the capital.
The decision was made to reduce the festival’s costs following a recent review and consultation launched by organisers.
As part of the UK-wide strategic review into the event’s long-term future, the decision was made so the festival could continue to grow ‘amid increasing challenges around accessibility and sustainability across the television industry’, organisers explained.
The TV Festival is one of the UK’s most important annual gatherings for the television and media industry, bringing together TV executives, producers, broadcasters, streamers, journalists, writers, and on-screen talent to discuss the future of television and digital media. It typically features panel discussion and debates surrounding the industry, with more than 60 keynote speakers, debates, and master classes.
Since it was founded in 1976, it has become a major reform for discussing issues facing the TV industry with prominent figures over the years being David Attenborough, Louis Theroux and Michaela Coel.
The festival is traditionally held each August in Edinburgh, often alongside the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
In a move that aims to reduce costs due to concerns over the festival’s long-term future, Greater Manchester successfully secured a bid to become the next host city due to ‘commitments, infrastructure, industry partnership and long-term growth potential’.
Campbell Glennie, CEO of the TV Festival and The TV Foundation, said:
“Greater Manchester presented a vision for the Festival that combined genuine creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates. This means we can radically reduce the costs associated with attending the Festival as well as the cost of passes.
“The city reflects the expanding ambition of the UK television industry, while still offering the scale, connectivity and unique cultural identity needed for an event of this significance; it gives us the strongest platform to grow the Festival’s reach and impact in the years ahead.”
After the announcement, Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher expressed her disappointment, explaining:
“Of course, we’re disappointed by this decision but are rightly proud of the role that Edinburgh has played in hosting the TV Festival over the last 50 years.
“Being the world’s festival city, Edinburgh will always be a place where creativity is welcomed and celebrated and our ambitions for the screen sector and wider creative industries is as strong as ever.”
Fatima Salaria, Chair of the Festival board added: “We launched this review because the questions facing the Festival around affordability, accessibility, sustainability and the changing shape of the industry needed careful and honest consideration.
“This was never a decision about wanting to leave Edinburgh, or about diminishing the extraordinary role Scotland has played in shaping the identity of this Festival for 50 years. Edinburgh gives the Festival a powerful origin story, and we respect that deeply.
“But this decision had to balance legacy with future opportunity. The Festival now needs the right conditions, support and momentum for its next chapter; where it could have the strongest chance to grow and serve the widest part of the industry. For the Board, that place was Greater Manchester.”
The TV Festival is organised by The TV Foundation, the charity dedicated to supporting access, inclusion and talent development across the UK television industry.
The final Edinburgh edition of the TV Festival will take place this August and dates and further details for the TV Festival in 2027 will be shared later this year.
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