Edinburgh TV Festival — Industry Roles & Career Schemes
The TV Festival isn't a seasonal-jobs employer like the Fringe. Here's what it actually offers if you want to work in television.
What the TV Festival is
The Edinburgh TV Festival is the UK's largest gathering of the television industry — three days each August bringing together around 2,000 senior leaders from broadcasters, streamers, and production companies including the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, ITV, Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, Amazon, Fremantle, and many more.
Sessions cover commissioning, production, distribution, talent, and the future shape of television. The festival is run by the TV Foundation (registered charity), which also operates several free-to-enter career development schemes year-round. Note that the festival is reviewing future host locations from 2027 onwards.
Career development schemes (free to enter)
The TV Foundation runs several development programmes for people at different career stages. All are free to enter; selection is competitive. Application windows vary by scheme — check the TV Foundation site directly for current openings.
The Network
For newcomers trying to break into television.
A four-day programme of training, masterclasses, and networking running alongside the festival. Designed for people with no prior TV experience.
Visionaries
For rising stars early in their TV career.
A leadership and development scheme for people already working in TV who are identified as future leaders of the industry.
New Writers Collective
For writers seeking their first paid TV opportunity.
A development programme that pairs emerging screenwriters with industry mentors and showrunners.
Working for the TV Festival itself
The TV Foundation employs a small year-round team across programming, partnerships, marketing, and operations. Roles are advertised infrequently but are competitive — they tend to suit people with prior TV industry or events experience.
How attendees use the festival for hiring
A significant share of TV recruitment in the UK happens through informal networking at industry events, and the TV Festival is the largest of those for the calendar year. Commissioners, executives, and producers attend specifically to meet talent, hear pitches, and identify future hires. If you're trying to break into or move within television, attending — even just a single session or an evening event — can be more valuable than a year of cold applications.
Various delegate pass tiers are available, including reduced rates for new entrants. Festival passes and registration →
Other ways into TV work in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a small but active screen-industry sector beyond the festival itself.
Festival calendar
See how the TV Festival sits alongside Edinburgh's other August events.
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