Festivals Edinburgh director speaks at University reception

On Monday 17 August 2026, Lori Anderson - Director of Festivals Edinburgh -  was the guest speaker at the University of Edinburgh's annual festivals reception, and set out her thoughts about the future in the speech below.

As we near the halfway point of this year’s August Festivals, it is wonderful to be celebrating with so many of the people who make them possible.

Edinburgh’s Festivals are truly extraordinary. There is nowhere else in the world quite like this: artists and audiences from across the globe coming together, transforming streets, stages, venues and spaces across the city into places of imagination, discovery, joy and connection, and remember this does not just happen in August it takes place year-round.

The Festivals are one of Edinburgh’s greatest assets. They are fundamental to our cultural infrastructure, our economy, our international identity and our civic life. And their success is a remarkable collective built through the commitment and collaboration of organisations, agencies, funders, communities and partners across the city, and, above all, through the extraordinary artists and performers at their heart. [who we have seen perform so wonderfully tonight]

The Festivals and the University have much in common. Both are international in outlook; both are places of inspiration and learning; both champion debate, curiosity and conversation; and both create moments where new ideas can flourish.

The University has long been an important part of the life of the Festivals through its spaces, its people, its research, its students and its partnerships. It is now a hugely valued and integral part of the Festival ecosystem.

Next year marks the 80th anniversary of Edinburgh as the world’s leading Festival City, an extraordinary achievement and a moment to celebrate the vision and ambition of those who created the Festivals, and everyone who has built and sustained them over the decades.

But anniversaries are not only about looking back. They are also an opportunity to look forward, to ask what we want the Festival City to be, for the next 80 years.

That means having an honest conversation about how we sustain this extraordinary success. Who benefits from the Festivals? Where does investment flow? Who receives the income, and who carries the costs? And, as the cost of delivering the Festivals continues to rise, how do we ensure that those that benefit pay their fair share - so that the Festivals remain affordable and accessible to all.

These are not simply questions about the future of the Festivals. They are questions about the future of Edinburgh as a Festival City.

That conversation needs to involve the whole Festivals ecosystem. And the University – which is developing its own Festivals Strategy – must be part of that, playing an important year-round role, not simply as a partner, beneficiary, host and venue, but as [Peter has said] a civic institution with expertise, international networks and a long-term commitment to the city and its Festivals.

And hot off the press today - we are excited about the Festivals partnership with the University on the BRAID project, exploring how AI can help BSL users better navigate and experience the Festivals. It is a wonderful example of the practical, collaborative innovation that this relationship can deliver, and we hope to see many more.

If we bring that same spirit of partnership and imagination to the future of the Festival City, we can build on the past 80 years and ensure Edinburgh’s Festivals remain world-leading, connected to the city, open to everyone and full of possibility.

Thank you to the University of Edinburgh for its ongoing partnership. We hugely value what we have built together and look forward to continuing to deepen that relationship in the years ahead.