TV Festival unveils dates, venue, and advisory chair for first Manchester edition

Versa Studios Manchester and Aviva Studios will become the location of the TV Festival, which is moving away from the Scottish capital after 50 years.

Versa is based on the site of the former Granada Studios in the city’s new St John’s creative and cultural district. Aviva Studios is the home of Factory International and Manchester International Festival. It is reportedly the largest new cultural venue to open in the UK since Tate Modern in 2000.

The festival’s editorial programme will take place across studios in the Versa complex and the Law Family Hall in Aviva Studios.

The TV Festival will continue to run over four days but will move one week later in the calendar. In 2027, it will take place after the August Bank Holiday, from Tuesday 31 August to Friday 3 September.

Greater Manchester was announced as the festival’s new home in June, following a consultation and competitive bidding process amid industry concerns about the cost of attending Edinburgh.

The TV Festival has also appointed Wayne Garvie, President, International Production, Sony Pictures Television (SPT), as its Advisory Chair for 2027. Garvie will work alongside Niall Flanagan, Head, Editorial, TV Festival, to shape the programme for its first Manchester edition.

Campbell Glennie, CEO, TV Festival, TV Foundation, said: “Work is now firmly underway for the 2027 edition of the TV Festival, with a renewed vigour, vision, and creative ambition across the team. We are excited by the prospect of evolving the festival beyond what people have come to expect.

“With Greater Manchester as our new home, we’re ready to grow and realise the Festival’s full potential over the coming years, whether that’s extending the programme into evening sessions, new creative partnerships, or opening the doors to public-facing events or screenings. We have the potential to create a city-wide celebration of the TV and broader creative industries for the next generation.”

At the last Edinburgh TV Festival, Michael Burns recently did a deep dive on the many forms of change on the agenda, from YouTube’s growing dominance to audiences’ growing decision power in the M&E industry. Discover more here.