THE EDINBURGH Horror Festival, a yearly festival showcasing horror acts in Edinburgh has announced that no festival will be staged this year.
The horror fest usually takes place in the run up to Halloween and features a varied programme of standup, theatre, magic, and ghost stories, to name a few, all attempting to scare patrons out of their wits – or simply entertain.
The festival has been run by a group of dedicated volunteers since 2016, but running it has becoming ever more demanding.
Last year, in particular, has been described as particularly taxing by festival organisers, who will now “take time to refocus and decide on our futures”.
Patrons queue outside Banshees Labyrinth for the Edinburgh Horror Festival (C) Edinburgh Horror Festival / Instagram
It is unclear whether the festival will return at all, with organisers stating that their plan is to reconvene at the end of this year to decide if they can stage a festival in 2027.
Events under the aegis of The Edinburgh Horror Festival will continue to take place at Banshees Labyrinth.
The gothic, horror-themed pub in Edinburgh’s Old Town has served loyally as the festival’s venue since its inception.
In a statement, festival organisers said “this decision was not taken lightly”.
They continued: “We are taking a hiatus from staging the Festival in 2026. Last year we celebrated our tenth fest, and this year is our tenth birthday so this decision was not taken lightly. But after ten years, we need a break.
“The festival is run entirely by a small group of volunteers and we all love what we do. But after the 2025 festival we realised just how much harder things felt, how much toll the work was taking, and we know we are not the only ones making this decision.
“Like so many people we are burnt out, or facing personal challenges, or health issues, and we need to take time to refocus and decide on our futures – both EHF and not. Put simply – we’re tired.”
They continued, detailing their plan going forward: “Our plan is to reconvene at the end of this year and decide if we’re able to stage a festival in 2027 once everyone has had a chance to focus on their wellbeing.
“Running an event like this is hard, but we have all gotten so much from doing so. We have been able to meet so many amazing creatives, and watch so many of them grow.
“We will still have a presence, we are not folding, or closing down.
“But we need some time to take stock of our lives, the world, the state of the arts scene, and most of all heal from the things the universe throws at us.”
Last year’s event, the tenth Edinburgh Horror Festival, took place at the end of October.
Many expressed solidarity with the festival’s organisers via social media, conveying their sadness at the news but encouraging them to take a “much deserved” break.
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