Tag: funding for festivals

Increased funding for festivals

Record culture funding uplift to benefit 14 festivals in 2025-26

Edinburgh Fringe Programme Launch 2025

Fourteen major festivals across Scotland will receive funding increases this year, thanks to a record uplift in the Scottish culture budget.

As part of an overall £4 million increase for festivals in 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this year’s Festival EXPO Fund has awarded a total of £2.8 million across the 14 festivals, up from £1.7 million the previous year.

Festivals Edinburgh will also receive £200,000 via Creative Scotland to support their branding and marketing work to promote the Edinburgh festivals.

Established in 2007, the Scottish Government’s Festival EXPO Fund is designed to support festival innovation and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists who contribute to them. The fund is managed by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland’s festivals are our cultural shopfront to the rest of the world. As well as offering performers and creatives an unrivalled international platform, they also deliver an annual economic uplift to businesses, jobs and livelihoods right across the country.

“This year’s funding increase for the existing EXPO festivals cohort represents an increase of £1 million across the 14 festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the first in 10 years.

“It recognises the success of festivals in shaping and supporting hundreds of commissions, enhancing the ambitions of thousands of Scottish artists and attracting audiences in the millions for EXPO-supported work since the fund’s creation in 2007.

“From this foundation we will expand the reach of the EXPO fund across the whole of Scotland, and I am working with festivals across the country through the Strategic Festivals Partnership to realise this commitment.”

Dana MacLeod, Executive Director of Arts, Communities and Inclusion at Creative Scotland said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to the Festivals EXPO Fund, providing invaluable support for Scotland’s world-class festivals.

“The EXPO Fund enables Scotland’s festivals to commission bold ideas, develop creative collaborations and present high-quality programmes for audiences in Scotland and internationally.”

Lori Anderson, Director of Festivals Edinburgh said: “Today’s announcement is welcome news for our festivals and for Scotland’s cultural sector, ensuring that the guiding principle of the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund – to showcase Scottish talent to the world on the country’s premier festival platforms – continues to successfully support creative careers.”

Strategic Partnership for Scotland’s Festivals – second open letter from Culture Secretary Angus Robertson – gov.scot

Multi-Year Funding Outcome Announcement | Creative Scotland

EXPO Fund 2025-26 recipients:

  • Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival: £195,000
  • Edinburgh International Film Festival: £193,000
  • Edinburgh Art Festival: £200,000
  • Edinburgh International Book Festival: £200,000
  • Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (Made in Scotland 2026): £670,000
  • Edinburgh International Festival: £100,000
  • Scottish International Storytelling Festival: £200,000
  • Edinburgh’s Hogmanay: £180,000
  • Edinburgh Science Festival: £150,000
  • Imaginate: £188,000
  • Celtic Connections: £154,000
  • Glasgow Film Festival: £120,000
  • Glasgow International: £130,000
  • Sonica: £120,000.

£1.8 million for Scotland’s major arts festivals

Expo Fund will support additional organisations

Fourteen major festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive a share of this year’s £1.8 million Expo Fund. Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society receives the lion’s share of the funding pot – it gets £550,000.

See below for the full list of recipients.

Established in 2007 by the Scottish Government, the Expo Fund’s aim is to build innovation across the festivals and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists contributing to the festivals.

This year for the first time, the Glasgow Film Festival and the biennial Sonica visual art and sonic festival will receive funding.

Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said: “Scotland’s major festivals are a wonderful showcase for the extraordinary range of artistic talent we have in this country. The Expo Fund not only helps to support performances at home, but enables artists to find new audiences further afield. 

“The last few years have been challenging for the culture sector, especially festivals and events. I’m pleased that we are able to continue this important fund and include two more Glasgow-based festivals who will receive support for the first time.”

Creative Scotland Chief Executive Iain Munro said: “Scotland is known across the globe for its outstanding array of world-class festivals. The Expo Fund is vital in raising the international profile of these festivals and enabling them to enhance their programmes through exciting and innovative co-productions and collaborations.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to recognise the distinct international profile and work of Sonica and Glasgow Film Festival through Expo funding. They join Celtic Connections, Glasgow International and the Edinburgh Festivals, further expanding the diversity of opportunities and inspirational work reaching international audiences.”

Expo Fund 2023-24 recipients:

Celtic Connections £101,000
Edinburgh Art Festival£130,000
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society£550,000
Edinburgh International Book Festival£85,000
Edinburgh International Festival£100,000
Edinburgh International Film Festival£59,000
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival£100,000
Edinburgh Science Festival£120,000
Glasgow International Festival£75,000
Hogmanay£130,000
Imaginate – Edinburgh International Children’s Festival£130,000
Scottish International Story Festival£120,000
As new entrants, Glasgow Film Festival and Sonica will share£100,000