08-07-2025
Edinburgh festivals face financial turmoil as sponsors withdraw
Edinburgh's festivals are facing financial turmoil as attracting corporate sponsorship has become a 'minefield', Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, has said.
Baillie Gifford, the asset management company, stood down as the headline sponsor of the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) last year after 20 years of partnership, after pressure from climate campaigners.
Fossil Free Books, an activist group, organised boycotts of the book festival and other literary festivals across the UK sponsored by the Edinburgh firm, claiming it was making money from investments in fossil fuel companies.
The protests manifested in various forms, including open letters signed by hundreds of authors, threats of boycotts and speaker withdrawals, including the climate activist Greta Thunberg who cancelled her event at the EIBF in 2023.
