End of a season: TV Festival reveals move to Manchester after 50 years in Scotland

Greater Manchester will become the new host city for the TV Festival from 2027 onwards.

As part of a UK-wide strategic review into the four-day event’s long-term future, and following a consultation launched in 2025, the festival’s board of directors decided to move the event – which attracts 2,000 TV leaders – from Edinburgh to Manchester.

The review was undertaken in order to examine how the TV Festival could continue to grow amid increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability, and sustainability across the television industry and in response to the growing challenges of rising costs for both organisers and attendees.

Greater Manchester’s successful and comprehensive bid included commitments around affordability, infrastructure, industry partnership and long-term growth potential. Plans include holding the festival in locations in the newly developed St. John’s creative and cultural district.

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.”

Councillor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, and Deputy Mayor for Economy Business and Inclusive Growth, Greater Manchester, said:  “Being chosen to host the TV Festival is brilliant news for Greater Manchester and speaks to the growth, success and strength of our screen sector in the city region and the strong partnerships and talent we have here.

“With the fastest growing economy in the UK, creative industries are a key priority growth area for us. As part of this we aim to make our region home to the strongest screen industry cluster outside London by 2028 – an ambition backed by our just-launched £10.5 million Screen Production Fund to support film and TV made in Greater Manchester, using local facilities and expertise.

“As new home now also to the prestigious TV Festival, we’ll be working closely with partners to ensure we deliver not just an exceptional annual Festival – with our own uniquely Manchester twist – but an event that supports new collaborations and partnerships locally, nationally, and internationally, that have the growth, sustainability, and diversity of the screen industry at their heart.”

The festival team has paid tribute to Edinburgh, which has hosted the event for five decades.

Fatima Salaria, chair of the festival board said: “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.