Blow to Fringe as industry event moves to Manchester

Edinburgh will not have a TV festival next year.

Organisers decided to move the annual jamboree to Manchester after half a century, citing ‘affordability’ as a major factor.

But the decision severs an important connection between the festival and the Fringe. Many performers at the arts festival hope to be spotted by the TV executives who swarm the city in its last few days.

Campbell Glennie, CEO of the TV festival said the move ‘means we can radically reduce the costs associated with attending the festival’ – especially given the industry already has a substantial base in Salford’s Media City.

He added: ‘Greater Manchester presented a vision for the festival that combined genuine creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates.’

‘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.’

But the decision has been met with some criticism.  Jon Thoday, who co-founded live comedy and TV production company Avalon called it ‘a very disappointing mistake’.

Speaking to The Times, he said: 'The growth of original [ideas] is the most important thing for the UK’s creative industries and Edinburgh Fringe is one of the world’s great creative hubs. Some of the great brands of the last 50 years only happened because of the proximity of TV execs to the Fringe.’

Fringe shows to have transferred to TV  from Edinburgh include Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag,  Alex Horne’s Taskmaster, The League of Gentlemen, The Mighty Boosh and Flight Of The Conchords – not to mention the number of comedians who have caught the eyes of talent bookers and producers in Edinburgh. 

‘Anything that dislocates the TV industry from talent seems odd,’ Thoday added. ‘It is a mad thing to do just to save some money on accommodation costs.’

He said that Avalon executives would not shun the Fringe in favour of the Manchester TV Festival.

TV festival organisers say the decision was made after a ‘UK-wide strategic review into the event’s long-term future’ – with Manchester seeing off a rival bid from Newcastle as well as the option to remain in the Scottish capital.

The event features panels and celebrity speakers, including Tina Fey and Graham Norton last year. Edinburgh will host it for the last time on August 25 to 28.  The 2027 festival is set to take place in the St John’s district of Manchester, with the dates yet to be confirmed – so it is not known if it will clash with the Fringe.

Fatima Salaria, chair of the festival board, added: ‘We know this news will carry real emotion for many people because Edinburgh and the [TV] festival have been intertwined over generations. We will honour that history with care, including at this year’s festival. This is a chance to build a new chapter with confidence.’

The decision was taken by the festival's board of directors after ‘an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process’ was launched last year.

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Published: 24 Jun 2026