It’s that time of year when all the world’s a stage, and that stage is in Edinburgh. The Scottish capital exerts a magnetic pull on creatives from around the world for its annual festivals which bring 4 million people to the city each year and £367 million into the local economy.
I started my career at the Edinburgh International Festival over 25 years ago and love to say that it was the most amazing cultural education anyone could have. We worked with the very best musicians, directors and performing arts companies in the world and paired them with sponsors who understood the value of culture to power economic growth and build community, as well as a vehicle for their brands and client entertaining. Scottish & Newcastle brewery, Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, ScottishPower, Glenlivet et al. were
Today, the conversation around sponsorship centres on fund manager Baillie Gifford, a committed supporter of the arts since my time and I’m so pleased to see that the big Scottish institutions – the National Galleries of Scotland, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe have all stated their thanks and commitment to the sponsor who has supported culture and outreach into the community for so long.
But, what’s new on the sponsorship front? The first is the rise of whisky – a £5.6 billion Scottish export favourite. The new Principal Sponsor of the International Festival this year is The MacAllan, marking its 200th anniversary by sponsoring a new-look opening event that will combine ‘heritage and creativity’ and welcome ‘10,000+ people to create a new ritual together for the International Festival and the city of Edinburgh’. While Jonnie Walker Princes Street is a Fringe sponsor and venue number 637, providing a whisky ‘experience’ for visitors and hosting local performers.
Drink has always a good match for the festivals, and their involvement through sponsorship and sampling continues elsewhere for example with Innes & Gunn brewers and Pickering’s Gin at the Military Tattoo and Koppaberg, Tennants and White Claw at the Guilded Balloon.
On the media front, TikTok is moving further into culture and continues to build on its arts sponsorships, cleverly showcasing its platform as the Official Virtual Stage of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Its targeted activation focuses on new talent, supporting artists in the build-up to this year’s event. They are running a series of workshops and masterclasses highlighting how using the social media platform can raise awareness of their work and drive audience engagement following @EdFringe or with the hashtag #EdFringe.
Comedy has always been an Edinburgh staple and the ISH Awards, established in 2023 and continuing this year, are sponsored by Jones Bootmaker and include The Comedian’s Choice Award. Unusually, the awards are run by volunteers and 100% of sponsorship is given to the artists in prizes. Watch out for shoe-related puns.
Circling back to corporate support, tech company Cirrus Logic sees its partnership with the Fringe as an important part of its global community engagement programme, and a close link to their office space in the Quartermile district, at the heart of all things Edinburgh festival-related.
Its this wonderful link between the world, and the city that makes the Festival City – its performers, audiences and sponsors - so special.