(Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
The UK’s biggest TV industry summit is to shift its dates to avoid a clash with Edinburgh’s festivals after deciding to move out of the Scottish capital after half a century.
The TV Festival had traditionally been staged during the final week of the Fringe but will now be staged a week later than normal.
It will get underway the day after Scotland’s biggest cultural event has finished in its new home in Greater Manchester.
Read more:
- Edinburgh unveils new screen event to plug TV Festival 'gap'
- Edinburgh loses TV Festival to Greater Manchester over 'affordability'
- Edinburgh TV Festival exit is least of Scotland's broadcast woes
The news is expected to provide a boost to plans to “fill the gap” left by the TV Festival with a new screen, creative industries and media summit in Edinburgh.
The new global gathering was announced by the Scottish Government, its Screen Scotland agency and the Fringe Society during the final edition of the TV Festival in August.
It will be launched next summer to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The new event, which leading Fringe venues are likely to be involved with, is expected to be more accessible to the public than the TV Festival, which has traditionally been a closed industry gathering.
The annual gathering will feature a keynote debate named after former Edinburgh International Film Festival director Linda Myles, who instigated the TV Festival in 1976.
Màiri McAllan, the Scottish Government’s culture secretary, described the new event as a “replacement” for the TV Festival when initial plans were unveiled in August.
She said at the time: “We are so proud of Scotland’s screen sector and 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.
“As a global hotbed of emerging talent, where new voices are heard and fresh stories are told, Edinburgh will continue its world-leading offer for the television industry with the support of the Scottish Government – and will do so alongside our other Edinburgh festivals, showcasing brilliance across artforms.”
The TV Festival, which announced it was relocating to Greater Manchester in June, said at the time that they would be able to “radically reduce” costs for delegates by moving the event away from the Scottish capital.
They praised Greater Manchester’s bid to host the event for combining “creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates”.
It has announced that the event will start on the day after the English bank holiday in August, when the final Fringe shows are staged.
The event, which had been staged in recent years at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, will be relaunched at Versa Studios and Aviva Studios in Manchester between August 31 and September 3.
TV Festival chief executive Campbell Glennie said: “Work is now firmly underway for the 2027 edition of The TV Festival, with a renewed vigour, vision and creative ambition across the team. We are excited by the prospect of evolving the festival beyond what people have come to expect.
“With Greater Manchester as our new home, we’re ready to grow and realise the festival’s full potential over the coming years; whether that’s extending the programme into evening sessions, new creative partnerships or opening the doors to public-facing events or screenings.
“We have the potential to create a city-wide celebration of the TV and broader creative industries for the next generation.
“However, we will always remain true to our core goal: connecting creatives, producers and executives to celebrate and debate the industry of today, while challenging and inspiring the industry of tomorrow.”