The TV Festival, formerly the Edinburgh TV Festival, has revealed the first details of its inaugural Greater Manchester edition in 2027, including dates and the venues that will host the event.

The TV Festival will continue to run over four days, from Tuesday to Friday, taking place after the August Bank Holiday, from Tuesday 31 August to Friday 3 September.

Versa Studios Manchester and Aviva Studios will become the new location of The TV Festival. Versa stands on the historic site of the former Granada Studios in the new St John’s creative and cultural district. Aviva Studios is the home of Factory International and the Manchester International Festival and is 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 Factory International. The location brings together Manchester’s television heritage and its modern cultural spaces, creating a compact and lively Festival hub. This area has been at the heart of television production for seven decades and is associated with some of Britain’s most iconic programmes, including Coronation Street, University Challenge and The Royle Family.

Greater Manchester was announced as the Festival’s new home in June, following an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process. The city has a rich production legacy, with many internationally acclaimed series made there, and is increasingly attracting major international productions.

The move from Edinburgh marks a new chapter for the Festival, offering greater accessibility and affordability for delegates, as well as the potential for sustainable long-term growth. Working closely with partners across Greater Manchester, the Festival will explore ways to expand its editorial programme, develop new creative partnerships and possibly open parts of the event to a wider public audience.

Campbell Glennie, CEO of The TV Festival and The 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.

“However, we will always remain true to our core goal: connecting creatives, producers and executives to celebrate and debate the industry of today, while challenging and inspiring the industry of tomorrow.”

The Festival has also announced that Wayne Garvie, President, International Production, Sony Pictures Television (SPT), will be its Advisory Chair for 2027.

Garvie started his career at Granada in 1988, and in a storied career was Head of Entertainment Group at the BBC while based at BBC Manchester, and followed with senior positions at BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios), All3Media, and SPT. As President, International Production, Garvie oversees the studio's global portfolio of production companies outside the US, with offices in London and Manchester and covering Europe, Latin America and Australia. Group companies include Left Bank Pictures, Bad Wolf, and Stellify Media, among others.

Over the years, Garvie has led the teams responsible for a remarkable range of programmes, both unscripted such as Dragons Den, and both Strictly Come Dancing and its international franchise, Dancing With The Stars, scripted shows like Industry, The Crown and Mr Loverman and throughout his career has consistently championed and promoted the UK's creative industries at home and around the world. The SPT International Production group actively develops and produces across all nations and regions of the UK; and the group actively champions access to the industry to all.

His combination of international experience, creative leadership and longstanding connection to Manchester will help the Festival bring together influential voices from across the television landscape and address the most pressing questions facing the industry.

Garvie will work alongside the TV Festival’s Head of Editorial, Niall Flanagan, to shape and deliver an ambitious programme for the Festival’s first Manchester edition.

Fatima Salaria, Chair of The TV Festival Board, said: “Wayne is exactly the right Advisory Chair for this pivotal year. His decision to join us is a real vote of confidence in our vision for the Festival and matches the scale of our ambition. He has deep roots in Manchester, including many years at Granada Studios, alongside a genuinely international perspective and the reach of Sony Pictures Television. He knows the industry inside out, cares deeply about where it is heading and already has a strong sense of the conversations we need to provoke in 2027. He brings big ideas, global clout and, having worked at Granada, absolutely no excuse for getting lost. I’m genuinely excited about what he will bring to the Festival in this very special year.”

Wayne Garvie, President, International Production, Sony Pictures Television, said: “Manchester, so much to answer for - for my career and so many others’. I feel privileged to be bringing the Television Festival to a city I love, a city renowned for innovation, culture, and having a damn good time. We’ll make this an unforgettable event, with emerging voices and global names, argument and laughter, so come and join us to plot the future of our industry.”

The TV Festival is organised by The TV Foundation, the charity dedicated to supporting access, inclusion and talent development across the UK television industry.