King’s Theatre in Edinburgh warns it has 35 days to be saved after levelling up appeal fails

The King’s Theatre in Edinburgh has warned that it has 35 days left to be saved after losing an appeal to the levelling up fund.

The beloved 1350-seat Scottish venue, which opened to audiences in 1906 and is currently operated by Capital Theatres, lost its appeal to the levelling up fund that would have allowed it to progress with essential redevelopment works.

Though having already raised £26m towards the redevelopment of the theatre, Capital Theatres states an additional £8.9m must be sourced in the coming 35 days in order to allow contractors to begin the work and secure the theatre’s future, given the effects of inflation and additional costs from ongoing turbulence. If unsuccessful, Capital would have to hand back the theatre’s keys to the City of Edinburgh Council who own the building.

Fiona Gibson CEO of Capital Theatres said: “This really is the last chance saloon for the King’s. It’s been a long road planning and fundraising for the capital redevelopment of the King’s Theatre to turn it into both a thriving community hub, fully accessible to audiences and performers, and a world class venue, while maintaining its history and heritage.

“Nearly all the original capital cost estimate of £26 million to transform the King’s is in place thanks to grants from the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund; generous donations from our patrons and donors, companies and trusts; as well as Capital Theatres’ own contribution. We are incredibly proud of the collective effort to reach this figure.”

Sign up for our newsletters for more