Organisers invite rival bids over cost fears

The Edinburgh TV festival might be moving out of the Scottish capital as accommodation prices spiral in August.

Founded in 1976, the event traditionally coincides with the last few days of the Fringe, meaning executives can see some of the hottest comedy shows of the festival. In the last couple of years, the TV event has also staged specific showcases to put stand-ups in front of broadcasting gatekeepers.

However, organisers have now invited bids from other cities to host the 2027 edition, The Guardian reports today amid  concerns about the industry’s lack of working-class voices.

Edinburgh will be allowed to make a bid again, but chief executive Campbell Glennie said he wanted to explore ‘how we can reduce costs for delegates and make the festival open to more people than ever before’.

The Scottish capital has been ranked as one of the most expensive city breaks in western Europe and in July and August the US government allows its diplomats £515 a day for lodgings  – more than in Monaco or the Cayman Islands.

If the TV Festival moves out of Edinburgh it will be a wake-up call for the city and the Fringe as fears rise that exorbitant accommodation prices are making it increasingly unviable for performer without deep pockets to stage a show there. 

Some venues are also being hit. Last month, The Pleasance Trust – the biggest single host of comedy at the festival – divulged that it ran at a £61,311 deficit in the year to November 2024, with the climbing costs for artists cited as a ‘challenge’.

And earlier this year, William Burdett-Coutts, founder and director of Assembly Festival, said: ‘The whole economic model of the Fringe really is at the risk of reaching breaking point.’

Published: 20 Nov 2025