Scottish Ballet warns touring to Edinburgh is ‘fast becoming unsustainable’

The boss of Scottish Ballet has warned that touring to Edinburgh is “fast becoming unsustainable” as a result of rising accommodation costs.

The Glasgow based dance company said its bill for housing its touring company of up to 150 performers and crew in the capital had risen by 72% between December 2019 and December 2025 – and now tops more than £200,000.

To help with the costs it has called on Edinburgh City Council to introduce an exemption or relief scheme to the new visitor levy for Scotland’s national performing arts companies – four out of five of which are based in Glasgow.

The plea comes ahead of the visitor levy, which will see those staying in hotels, B&Bs, short-term lets and other forms of tourist accommodation, charged an additional 5%.

Edinburgh is the first authority in Scotland to introduce such a scheme, with the charge coming in from Friday July 24.

But speaking ahead of that, Steven Roth, executive director of Scottish Ballet, warned: “The economics of touring to Edinburgh are fast becoming unsustainable.”

He added: “We will keep finding ways to make it work because we believe in this city.

“But a visitor economy that becomes too expensive for both the artists who animate it, and the audiences who come to see them, risks undermining the very thing that makes Edinburgh worth visiting.”

He spoke out as Scottish Ballet revealed it has curtailed its festive production of Cinders in the capital.

While it had originally been hoped the show would run until December 31 in Edinburgh, increasing costs are said to have made this “impossible”.

Instead, performances at the Festival Theatre will run from December 11 to 24 leaving the venue “dark over the festive period for the first time in recent memory”.

The concern over rising costs of staying in Edinburgh comes as Scottish Ballet insisted it has no choice but to put up dancers and crew in the city when performing there, saying that union agreements and performer health and safety requirements necessitate accommodation close to venues.

Appealing for help, Scottish Ballet’s chief executive and artistic director, Christopher Hampson, said: “Edinburgh is known around the world as a city where the arts are alive in a way that is genuinely rare.

“That reputation was built by the companies and performers who have committed to this city year after year. We remain committed to Edinburgh, but that commitment needs to be a two-way street.”

Edinburgh city council’s leader, Jane Meagher, said: “The introduction of our visitor levy is such an important moment for the city.

“It will raise tens of millions of pounds a year for us to reinvest in everything that makes Edinburgh so special – benefitting everyone who lives in, works in and visits the city.

“It will help us to strengthen the services and public spaces we all depend on, while better managing the effects of tourism and major events.

“Cities and destinations across the world have managed similar schemes for many years and there’s no evidence to suggest that they have impacted the number of visitors they welcome each year.

“The 5% rate is modest in comparison to other cities and the five-night cap we’ve placed on the levy, limits the amounts that artists and others staying for longer periods will have to pay.”

She continued: “I don’t disagree that hotel prices in Edinburgh have risen exponentially in recent years but the responsibility for that lies with the hoteliers, not the council.

“Our focus is on reinvesting the proceeds of the levy in areas that maintain and enhance our reputation as one of the most popular and enjoyable destinations in the world.

“It’s also worth pointing out that our cultural sector stands to benefit from the levy, too, with plenty of funding options available for cultural organisations.”