The Edinburgh International Television Festival (branded as the Edinburgh TV Festival) is an annual media event held in Edinburgh, Scotland, each August that brings together delegates from the television and digital world to debate the major issues facing the industry.
| Edinburgh International Television Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Television |
| Dates | 19–22 August 2025 |
| Location | Edinburgh |
| Country | Scotland |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Website | www |
The Festival draws over 2,000 delegates from across the global TV industry. Although the festival is held in Edinburgh, the organisations headquarters are based in London, England, with the registered office based in Edinburgh.[1]
History and outline
editOver the years, the Festival has attracted industry figures including Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, Vince Gilligan, Ted Sarandos, Elisabeth Murdoch, Louis Theroux, Michaela Coel, David Attenborough, Charlie Brooker, David Olusoga and Steve Coogan as well as people distinguished in their fields such as Al Gore and Eric Schmidt.
Established in 1976, the Festival takes place every August in the week leading up to the bank holiday at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre at the same time as the Edinburgh Fringe, and similar events, in the city. The Edinburgh International Television Festival is programmed by and for the television industry, by a rotating advisory committee headed by a new chair every year. The Festival is wholly owned by a not-for-profit charity, known publicly as The TV Foundation and is governed by its own board of directors.
The TV Foundation runs a suite of free-to-access creative development initiatives: "The Network" (formerly known as TVYP) which gives new entrants a first step into the TV industry, while "Visionaries" (formerly known as Ones to Watch) supports those at mid-career. Both benefit from fully funded places at the Festival, which include tailored workshops, masterclasses and networking. Year-round mentoring, training and events are also offered.
The Festival runs other events throughout the year. Launched in 2018 these include AHTV and The New Voice Awards which support emerging talent and self-starting creatives in TV and digital.
On 23 June 2026, it was announced that the festival would leave Edinburgh after 50 years and relocate to Manchester in 2027. Festival organisers explained the move due to "increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability and sustainability".[2][3]
The MacTaggart Lecture
editThe festival has become associated with its keynote address, the James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture.[4] The lecture features speeches from leading media figures connected with British and international television over more than 40 years.[5]
| Year | Speaker | Job title* |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | John McGrath | Dramatist and director, founder of 7:84 Theatre Company |
| 1977 | Marcel Ophuls | French/US documentary film maker (The Sorrow and the Pity/Le Chagrin et la Pitié) |
| 1978 | Norman Lear | American television producer and scriptwriter |
| 1979 | Jeremy Isaacs | former Director of Programmes for Thames Television (later Chief Executive, Channel 4) |
| 1980 | John Mortimer | Screenwriter and dramatist |
| 1981 | Peter Jay | Economist and broadcaster, Chairman of TV-am |
| 1982 | Ted Turner | American television executive, founder of CNN |
| 1983 | Jonathan Miller | Stage and television director/producer and broadcaster |
| 1984 | Denis Forman | Chairman, Granada Television |
| 1985 | John Schlesinger | Film and television director |
| 1986 | Troy Kennedy Martin | Television dramatist |
| 1987 | Phillip Whitehead | Television documentary producer |
| 1988 | Christine Ockrent | Belgian/French journalist and broadcaster |
| 1989 | Rupert Murdoch | Australian/American Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, News Corporation |
| 1990 | Verity Lambert | Independent film and television producer |
| 1991 | David Elstein | Director of programmes, Thames Television |
| 1992 | Michael Grade | Chief executive, Channel 4 |
| 1993 | Dennis Potter | Television dramatist and screenwriter |
| 1994 | Greg Dyke | Chief executive of LWT, Chairman of ITV Council and GMTV |
| 1995 | Janet Street-Porter | Broadcaster and journalist |
| 1996 | John Birt | Director general, BBC |
| 1997 | Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran | Television comedy scriptwriters and programme creators |
| 1998 | Peter Bazalgette | Managing director, Bazal |
| 1999 | Richard Eyre | Chief executive, ITV Network |
| 2000 | Greg Dyke | Director general, BBC |
| 2001 | David Liddiment | Director of channels, ITV Network |
| 2002 | Mark Thompson | Chief executive, Channel 4 |
| 2003 | Tony Ball | Chief executive, BSkyB |
| 2004 | John Humphrys | Broadcaster and journalist |
| 2005 | Lord Birt | Former director general, BBC |
| 2006 | Charles Allen | Chief executive, ITV |
| 2007 | Jeremy Paxman | Broadcaster and presenter of Newsnight (BBC) |
| 2008 | Peter Fincham | Director of Television, ITV |
| 2009 | James Murdoch | Chairman and chief executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation |
| 2010 | Mark Thompson | Director general, BBC |
| 2011 | Eric Schmidt | US citizen, executive chairman, Google |
| 2012 | Elisabeth Murdoch | Chairman, Shine Group |
| 2013 | Kevin Spacey | American actor, director and producer |
| 2014 | David Abraham | Chief executive, Channel 4 |
| 2015 | Armando Iannucci | Broadcaster, writer, director and producer |
| 2016 | Shane Smith | Canadian journalist and chief executive of Vice Media[6] |
| 2017 | Jon Snow | Journalist and broadcaster[7] |
| 2018 | Michaela Coel | Actress and writer |
| 2019 | Dorothy Byrne | Head of News and Current Affairs, Channel 4 |
| 2020 | David Olusoga | Historian and broadcaster |
| 2021 | Jack Thorne | Screenwriter and playwright[8] |
| 2022 | Emily Maitlis | Journalist and broadcaster[9] |
| 2023 | Louis Theroux | Journalist, broadcaster and author[10] |
| 2024 | James Graham | Playwright and dramatist[11] |
| 2025 | James Harding | Journalist and editor[12] |
* All job titles as at the time the lecture was given. Nationality/citizenship is British unless stated otherwise.
See also
edit
References
edit- ↑ "Contact - The TV Festival". 12 May 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/tv-festival-to-relocate-from-edinburgh-after-50-years-8755861
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r2vdmeg14o
- ↑ Snow, Jon (23 August 2017). "'The Best and Worst of Times': the MacTaggart Lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival 2017". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ↑ "MACTAGGART LECTURE ARCHIVE". Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ↑ Jackson, Jasper; Sweney, Mark (28 August 2016). "Vice's founder thinks television is failing young people – is he right?". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ↑ "MacTaggart Speaker Announced — The Edinburgh International Television Festival". Archived from the original on 23 July 2017.
- ↑ "JACK THORNE TO DELIVER MACTAGGART LECTURE". 8 July 2021.
- ↑ Ponsford, Dominic (25 August 2022). "Emily Maitlis MacTaggart lecture: How reporters should cover populism". Press Gazette. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ↑ "Louis Theroux To Deliver The MacTaggart Lecture 2023 – The TV Festival". 29 June 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ↑ "James Graham To Deliver The MacTaggart Lecture 2024 – The TV Festival". Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ↑ "James Harding To Deliver 50th MacTaggart Lecture". www.thetvfestival.com. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
External links
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