The future of the Edinburgh International Festival is hanging in the balance as organisers await confirmation of vital funding from Creative Scotland. The festival, which is a key part of the wider Edinburgh festival held every August, has seen its public funding drop by around 40% over the past decade, while operational costs have surged by 200%.
The uncertainty comes as festival director Nicola Benedetti announced the theme for the 2025 edition, titled The Truth We Seek. The programme will explore themes of truth and will feature several high-profile performances. Among them is the world premiere of Scottish Ballet’s Mary, Queen of Scots, which examines the life and legacy of the monarch through the perspective of Elizabeth I. The festival will also host the European premiere of Orpheus and Eurydice by Australian Opera, featuring acrobatic performances from Circa, alongside the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Opera Chorus. Additionally, the US-based National Youth Orchestra 2 will make their European debut.
However, in a sign of financial strain, the traditional three-night gala opening event has been scrapped. Previous years have seen special performances such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra playing film scores at Tynecastle Stadium.
A spokesperson for the festival commented: “Like hundreds of other organisations across Scotland, we face uncertainty as we await the results of Creative Scotland’s multi-year funding decisions, which have been delayed to align with the Scottish government’s budgetary process. Our public funding has reduced by around 40% in 10 years. We have increased fundraising by 200% in that time, but our costs have also increased by 200%.”
They added: “High inflation, rising costs and 17 years of standstill funding have placed all arts and culture organisations across the country in tough and uncertain circumstances. Multi-year funding commitments are critical to enable us to plan ahead.”
Nicola Benedetti echoed these concerns in an interview with The Scotsman, stating that the festival, which runs from August 1-24 next year, is being “squeezed.” The renowned violinist has been vocal about the challenges facing Scotland’s cultural sector since taking over as festival director in 2022.
A decision on funding for the next three years was expected last month but has been postponed until January. This delay leaves organisers with less than two months before they are due to launch the full programme for 2025. Creative Scotland has indicated that it will not know its budget until after the Scottish government announces its budget in December. The Scottish government has previously expressed hopes to increase arts funding in 2025/26.
As one of Scotland’s most prestigious cultural events faces an uncertain future, arts organisations across the country are watching closely to see how these financial challenges will be addressed.
