Fringe Chief Criticizes Edinburgh Council's Funding Decisions as 'Farcical'

London, United Kingdom Aug 18, 2026 ALN: Organisers of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have ramped up pressure on city council chiefs to rethink support for the city’s flagship cultural events - branding a new funding snub “illogical” and “farcical.”

Fringe Society chief executive Tony Lankester has accused the council of using a “loophole” to shut down a planned debate in public on how much money should be allocated from Edinburgh’s controversial new visitor levy, and suggested the move was anti-democratic.

Mr. Lankester also criticised the council for taking a “tone deaf” approach to the festivals by refusing to hear pleas from the festivals last week on the need to tackle long-term “underinvestment” which they say is risking the “erosion” of Edinburgh’s global appeal as a city of culture.

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He suggested there has been “iniquitous” treatment of the Fringe after the council refused to consider a proposed £1.7m package of support while committing millions of pounds of visitor levy funding to other projects and major events like the Tour de France.

Mr. Lankester and book festival director Jenny Niven were denied the chance to present the case for new funding of the festivals last week after the city council’s culture convener, Margaret Graham, said more time was needed to consider proposals put forward by opposition councillors.

If approved, they would have seen festivals, cultural venues and arts organisations which have been kept on standstill funding by the council for more than a decade, secure a £2m funding boost for their core funding for their 80th anniversary season in 2027.

Council officials wanted to cap their total core funding increase from the visitor levy pot to just £550,000 in the next financial year.

They have proposed using the remaining £1.5m for a new “innovation” fund which would be open to all cultural and heritage organisations in the city to apply to.

However both the SNP and the Liberal Democrat groups on the council had expressed support for proposals put forward by umbrella body Festivals Edinburgh, which warned that a proposed 5% uplift was “not enough to sustain, let alone develop, such unique civic assets.”

Margaret Graham, convener of the council’s culture committee, refused to allow any discussion or debate on the report from her officials on the grounds that it had been published late, even though it was on the council’s website more than a week in advance of a meeting which was broadcast live on the council's website.

Fresh proposals to support the cultural sector via visitor levy income are expected to be debated by councillors next week.

However, it is not known if the festivals will be able to address councillors before a decision on their future funding is made.

Cllr Graham said at the time: “We have not really had enough time to try to work out the implications and find a consensus. I am not prepared to have that report tabled.”

Mr. Lankester told The Herald: “The argument that was put forward was that they were filed late by the council’s officials. By their own admission in the meeting, it was only a couple of hours late.

“What is not clear to me, and this is why I think this is farcical, is what difference a couple of hours would have made to the extent of the consultation that could have been done ahead of the meeting.

“It was a technicality which meant they could take the report off the table. It felt like a loophole was being used to shut down discussion.

“Given that the festivals were happening and we were in the room at the time, it felt tone deaf of the council to say ‘we are not talking about the festivals just now’. They then went on to discuss a bunch of other things that are nowhere near as urgent.

“There were some very creative and sensible proposals from some of the councillors on how the festivals could benefit from the visitor levy.

“Councillors have a responsibility to represent their constituents. I would expect that they would all do that and they would come to the table with the views of their constituents. That is what democracy is all about.”

Mr. Lankester said he found it “deeply frustrating and disappointing” that the council was refusing to commit any new funding to the Fringe, while talking about Edinburgh being a global capital of culture.

Earlier this month, Cllr Graham said August in Edinburgh was “an opportunity to experience one of the world’s greatest cultural celebrations.”

Mr. Lankester added: “If Edinburgh wants to be a cultural capital of the world, it needs to invest in the things that demonstrate that. The Fringe is, inarguably, one of those things.

“The council tells us it is proud of the Fringe, it wants the Fringe here and it supports the Fringe. But at the very moment when the council has the opportunity to make a positive decision to invest in the Fringe, it baulks at it. It just doesn’t make sense.

“They keep giving us assurances that they are considering how to handle the festivals. But we keep seeing proposals from them that do not include the festivals.”

Initial visitor levy spending plans approved by the council in February include investment in a new city centre policing unit, improvements to public parks and gardens, new resources for street cleaning, new CCTV cameras, and long-term refurbishment plans for the former Royal High School on Calton Hill and Leith Theatre.

Mr. Lankester suggested there was a “real obsession” within the council that visitor levy funding for festivals and arts organisations had to be used for “shiny and new” projects.

He said: “There is no recognition that the festivals are innovating all the time.

“The argument we have been making is that the council has to invest in the core. That is what the festivals are crying out for.

“All of the festivals are incurring greater costs because of the levy and none of the festivals are seeing any benefit this year.

“The council says it cannot spend any visitor levy money yet. But their proposals are riddled with examples of where they have done just that. It just doesn’t add up. It’s illogical.”

Cllr Graham said: "Our festivals and cultural organisations are a fundamental part of what makes Edinburgh such a popular and enjoyable destination, and they also make a notable contribution to the city’s communities and economy.

“Our cultural sector will be able to benefit from a range of new and expanded funding opportunities.”