Increased funding for Scottish festivals

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.”