Summer of Festivals Thanks to National Lottery Funding

28 May 2025

Communities across Scotland are set for an unforgettable season of arts and culture, including festivals from Melrose to Tiree flourishing thanks to National Lottery support through Creative Scotland’s Open Fund.

A vibrant concert scene with an energetic crowd, hands raised, and a band performing on stage surrounded by colourful lights.A vibrant concert scene with an energetic crowd, hands raised, and a band performing on stage surrounded by colourful lights.

Tiree Music Festival, image by Kevin Kerr.

Festivals receiving grants in the latest funding round include:

Borders Book Festival: Melrose, 12 to 15 June

A literary celebration bringing top authors and fresh talent to the Scottish Borders. 2025 expands its hybrid programme for both public and school audiences, while deepening ties with community groups to widen access to arts and culture.

Solas Festival: Errol Park, Perthshire, 20 to 22 June

Under the theme 'Rest and Be Thankful,' Solas 2025 introduces an expanded wellbeing strand, welcoming neurodiverse audiences and those in recovery, while also adding classical music and theatre to its rich arts offering.

Tiree Music Festival: 11 to 13 July

The Elevate Stage grows in 2025, offering greater support for emerging artists and a more diverse genre mix. A special collaborative project by emerging artists debuts this year.

Mull of Kintyre Music and Arts Festival: Campbeltown, 20 to 24 August

Now in its 33rd year, this five-day celebration of music and heritage adds new genres and fringe activities, from whisky tours to heritage walks, reinforcing its identity as a community-rooted cultural experience.

These festivals are four of 48 projects awarded over £1 million in total, this April.

Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland, said: “From groundbreaking theatre research and development opportunities to multimedia experiments and debut albums by some of Scotland’s most exciting new voices, Creative Scotland’s Open Funds offer Scotland’s creative people and communities vital backing. This support ensures the continued vibrancy and growth of Scotland’s ever-evolving cultural landscape.”

Background

Creative Scotland’s Open Fund 

In April 2025, with support from the National Lottery, Creative Scotland’s Open Fund made 48 awards totalling £1,003,762.
The Open Fund is one of Creative Scotland’s key funding routes, supporting the wide range of activity initiated by artists, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. The Open Fund has no deadlines, and full eligibility criteria and application guidance can be found on the Creative Scotland website.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery, which, now in its 30th year, has supported over 14,600 projects with more than £501.9 million in funding through Creative Scotland and its predecessor, the Scottish Arts Council. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.