The annual Edinburgh TV Festival has unveiled the final three cities that have made the shortlist to potentially host the annual flagship industry event, Screen’s sister site Broadcast can reveal.
The festival’s existing home of Edinburgh, Greater Manchester and Newcastle are the three that will now be considered in the concluding review process for a long-term host city.
The festival has been held in the Scottish capital since 1976, but was opened up to other regional UK locations as part of a strategic review on how the festival can best serve its delegates and the long-term growth of the event.
The bidding process saw a total of eight applications submitted from cities across the UK, which were initially assessed on the capacity to scale up for long-term growth, accessibility and infrastructure, and ability to best serve delegates and the wider industry.
The final three have been approved by the festival board, with the TV Festival team meeting with bid organisers to discuss and assess submissions in more detail.
The final decision of which city will host the festival from 2027 onwards will be taken later this year.
“We are honoured to have received eight incredible bids and have been blown away by the level of enthusiasm, ingenuity and consideration each of the bidding cities brought to their submissions,” said the TV Festival’s chief executive Campbell Glennie.
“We’re excited to enter the final phase with the shortlist of three very strong city bids and look forward to learning more as we find the most sustainable solution for the Festival to grow and truly become ‘the’ moment in the television industry calendar for years to come.”
Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher said: “TV professionals have long benefitted from the opportunity to meet and mingle while enjoying everything our beautiful city has to offer – not least the largest and most diverse cultural gathering on Earth.”
Greater Manchester’s mayor Andy Burnham said: “We have the infrastructure, talent, ambition and creativity to deliver an exceptional Festival, opening a new chapter defined by the unmistakable character that only Greater Manchester can bring.”
Alison Gwynn, chief executive of North East Screen said: “The North East has tackled geographic and socio-economic disadvantage for decades but that is changing in a big way. We are a region with both credibility and huge momentum, capable of delivering a festival of national and international significance whilst ensuring a lasting legacy for our communities, emerging talent and the wider UK cultural landscape.”
The TV Festival will be held in Edinburgh for the 2026 edition.
A version of this story first appeared on Screen’s sister site, Broadcast.
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