TV Festival Moves To Manchester
The 50-year-old festival ditches Edinburgh for Greater Manchester, with Sony's Wayne Garvie as advisory chair, from August 31 to September 3, 2027
The TV Festival, previously held in Edinburgh for 50 years, will relocate to Greater Manchester in 2027, taking place from August 31 to September 3. The festival will be held at Versa Studios Manchester and Aviva Studios, with Wayne Garvie, president of international production at Sony Pictures Television, serving as advisory chair.
The move to Manchester was made for affordability and accessibility reasons, according to organizers. The festival's CEO, Campbell Glennie, stated that work is now underway for the 2027 edition, with a renewed vigour, vision, and creative ambition across the team.
Versa Studios Manchester is located on the historic site of the former Granada Studios, while Aviva Studios is the home of the Manchester International Festival and Factory International. The area has been home to some of Britain's best-known television shows, including 'Coronation Street', 'University Challenge', and 'The Royle Family'.
## What's Next The festival's relocation to Manchester is expected to bring new opportunities for growth and development. Glennie expressed excitement about the prospect of evolving the festival beyond what people have come to expect, with plans to potentially extend the programme into evening sessions, new creative partnerships, or public-facing events or screenings.
## Background The TV Festival's move to Manchester has had a mixed response, with some citing Edinburgh's charm and proximity to the Edinburgh Fringe as reasons for the festival's success. However, the decision was made to make the event more accessible to the television community. The festival's new home in Greater Manchester is expected to provide a fresh start and new opportunities for the industry.
The TV Festival's advisory chair, Wayne Garvie, oversees storied Sony indies, including Left Bank, Bad Wolf, and Eleven. He takes over from Adam Hawkins, the Netflix UK docs commissioner, who served as temporary chair for the 2026 edition, the final one in Scotland.
The 2027 edition of The TV Festival is set to be an exciting new chapter in the event's history, with a new location, new leadership, and new opportunities for growth and development.
