Edinburgh festival director calls for funding increase

The director of Edinburgh International Festival says the event is in need of a rise in public and philanthropic investment.

Speaking to the Guardian, Nicola Benedetti, who became the festival’s director in 2022, said the event could lose its global status without increased support.

Benedetti welcomed an increase in Scottish government arts spending, announced in December, but said it had been too late to prevent the 2025 edition of the festival from being smaller.

“There are one or two late levers we’d be able to potentially pull [to stage extra events], but even that will be down to late availability. So it’s not leaving us in a great place for the 25 festival,” Benedetti said.

She added it was currently unclear whether the additional funding would lead to a boost in the EIF’s future. Creative Scotland is scheduled to publish its spending plans later this month.

Figures published by the Guardian state the festival raised £12.8m last year, 9% less than in 2022, and has lost £4m over the past two years, deficits heavily reduced by tax credits.

Benedetti said cuts to government support meant the event doubled its income from philanthropic sources to maintain a standstill budget. 

“The financial picture that we are battling is not where I believe we should be, given to what degree we punch above our weight internationally and how the festival is heralded and celebrated and revered,” Benedetti said, adding that wealthy people and businesses needed “to see philanthropy as a part of their duty”.

In November, an EIF spokesperson told the BBC the event’s public funding had declined 40% over the last decade while operational costs had tripled.