Fourteen major festivals across Edinburgh and Glasgow 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.”
Background:
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
