How Is the Edinburgh International Festival Funded?

Edinburgh wouldn't be the same without the Edinburgh International Festival. But how does a live arts jamboree that boasts the crème de la crème of international orchestras, dance troupes and travelling theatres support itself in this age of austerity?

In 2012, the festival cost approximately £10.6 million. According to its website almost half of EIF's revenue (49%) comes from "earned revenue": that is tickets sales, sponsorship, and donations (as a charity, the EIF is eligible for various tax exemptions and tax breaks).

The rest of its revenue (51%) comes from public grants. Chief among these are the City of Edinburgh Council, which paid £2.53 million last year toward the EIF alone (see the report on all the Edinburgh Festivals for 2012), and Creative Scotland, the cultural arm of the Scottish Government.

The festival describes the costs break-down as being 75% for "presenting performances: artists' fees and travel, hiring the venues, and paying the technical costs involved with staging events."

It continues: "The remaining 25% of the budget was spent on marketing, selling the tickets, fundraising and administration."

Here's the list of the EIF's 2013 event sponsors and supporters. It's a long one:

Grants

• Edinburgh Council
• Creative Scotland

Project Grants

• The Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund
  Dance Odysseys, Scottish Ballet, Friday 16 August – Monday 19 August

Principal supporters

• Dunard Fund
  L.A. Dance Project, Saturday 24 August – Monday 26 August
  Russian National Orchestra, Monday 19 August – Tuesday 20 August
• Harold Mitchell Esq, AC
  Eh Joe, Gate Theatre Dublin, Friday 23 August, Tuesday 27 August, Thursday 29 August and Saturday 31 August
  I’ll Go On, Gate Theatre Dublin, Sunday 25 August, Wednesday 28 August, Saturday 31st August
  First Love, Gate Theatre Dublin, Wednesday 28 August - Saturday 31 August
• Léan Scully EIF Fund
  Embers, Pan Pan Theatre, Saturday 24 August – Sunday 25 August
  All That Fall, Pan Pan Theatre, Sunday 25 August – Monday 26 August

Festival Partners

• Arup
  City Noir, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Tuesday 27 August
• Baillie Gifford & Co, Investment Managers
  L.A. Dance Project, Saturday 24 August – Monday 26 August
• BBC Music Magazine
  20th Century Classics, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Saturday 10 August
• BP
  Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Monday 12 August
• Capital Document Solutions
  Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sunday 11 August
• Classic FM
  The Sixteen, Wednesday 21 August
• Pinsent Masons
  Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Friday 30 August
• Pulsant
  Leaving Planet Earth, Grid Iron, Saturday 10 August – Monday 12 August, Wednesday 14 August – Monday 19 August, Wednesday 21 August – Saturday 24 August
• The University of Edinburgh
  Verdi Requiem, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Saturday 31 August
• Virgin Money
  Virgin Money Fireworks Concert, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sunday 1 September

Principal Donors

• American Friends of the Edinburgh International Festival
  On Behalf of Nature, Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble, Friday 16 August – Sunday 18 August
• The Director’s Circle
  Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Marco Stroppa, Samuel Favre, Sunday 18 & Wednesday 21 August
• Edinburgh International Festival Benefactors
  The Queen’s Hall Series, Saturday 10 – Saturday 31 August
• Edinburgh International Festival Friends and Patrons
  Hamlet, The Wooster Group, Saturday 10 – Tuesday 13 August

International Partners and Agencies

• Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Edinburgh
  Dido and Aeneas / Bluebeard’s Castle, Oper Frankfurt, Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 August
• Culture Ireland
  Eh Joe, Gate Theatre Dublin, Friday 23 August, Tuesday 27 August, Thursday 29 August and Saturday 31 August
  I’ll Go On, Gate Theatre Dublin, Sunday 25 August, Wednesday 28 August, Saturday 31st August
  First Love, Gate Theatre Dublin, Wednesday 28 August - Saturday 31 August
  Embers, Pan Pan Theatre, Saturday 24 August – Sunday 25
  All That Fall, Pan Pan Theatre, Sunday 25 August – Monday 26 August
• Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, London
  Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Friday 30 August
• Embassy of the United States of America, London
  L.A. Dance Project, Saturday 24 August – Monday 26 August
• The Italian Cultural Institute, Edinburgh
  Verdi Requiem, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Saturday 31 August
• Korea Arts Management Service
  Madame Freedom, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Tuesday 20 August – Wednesday 21 August
  Media Skins, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Hyung Su Kim, Friday 9 August – Sunday 1 September
• Korean Creative Content Agency
  Madame Freedom, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Tuesday 20 August – Wednesday 21 August
  Media Skins, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Hyung Su Kim, Friday 9 August – Sunday 1 September
• Korean Cultural Centre UK
  Madame Freedom, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Tuesday 20 August – Wednesday 21 August
  Media Skins, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Hyung Su Kim, Friday 9 August – Sunday 1 September
• Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
  Madame Freedom, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Tuesday 20 August – Wednesday 21 August
  Media Skins, YMAP (Your Media Arts Project), Hyung Su Kim, Friday 9 August – Sunday 1 September
  The Ministry of Culture, People’s Republic of China
  The Tragedy of Coriolanus, Beijing People’s Art Theatre, Tuesday 20 August – Wednesday 21 August
• The Ministry of Culture, Taiwan
  Metamorphosis, Contemporary Legend Theatre, Saturday 10 August – Monday 12 August
• Taipei Representative Office in the UK
  Metamorphosis, Contemporary Legend Theatre, Saturday 10 August – Monday 12 August
• United States Consulate General, Edinburgh
  L.A. Dance Project, Saturday 24 August – Monday 26 August

Trusts and Foundations

• The Binks Trust
  Dido and Aeneas / Bluebeard’s Castle, Oper Frankfurt, Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 August
• The Peter Diamand Trust
  Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber, Saturday 10 August
• The Ellem Foundation
  Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Sunday 18 August
• Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
  Conversations with Artists, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 23, 28 and 29 August
• The Pirie Rankin Charitable Trust
  Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Friday 16 August
• The Stevenston Charitable Trust
  Tonhalle Orchestra, Monday 26 August
• Wellcome Trust
  Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man - Lecture and Workshop Series, 12, 19, 23, 26 and 27 August
• The KT Wong Foundation
  The Tragedy of Coriolanus, Beijing People’s Art Theatre, Tuesday 20 August – Wednesday 21 August

Benefactor

• John and Angela Kessler
  Fidelio, Opéra de Lyon, Saturday 10 and Monday 12 August
• Gavin and Kate Gemmell
  Dance Odysseys, Scottish Ballet, Friday 16 August – Monday 19 August
• Joscelyn Fox
  Mitsuko Uchida, Tuesday 13 August
  Nikolai Lugansky, Thursday 15 August
• Donald and Louise MacDonald
  Fauré Requiem, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Saturday 17 August
  Zukerman Chamber Players, Wednesday 28 August
  Quatuor Ébène, Saturday 31 August
• Ewan and Christine Brown
  La Belle et La Bête, Philip Glass Ensemble, Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 August
  The Poet Speaks, Philip Glass Ensemble, Tuesday 13 August
• James and Morag Anderson
  Chiaroscuro Quartet, Monday 12 August
• Mr Hedley G Wright
  Nicola Boud, Sabine Devieilhe, Jane Gower, Sophie Gent, Kris Bezuidenhout, Wednesday 14 August
• Claire and Mark Urquhart
  Andreas Haefliger, Saturday 17 August
• Frank Hitchman
  Nachtmusique, Tuesday 20 August
• Dr and Mrs George Sypert
  Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques, Wednesday 21 August
  Christophe Rousset, Thursday 22 August – Friday 23 August
• Roxane Clayton
  Midori, Thursday 22 August
• Susie Thompson
  Arditti Quartet, Tuesday 27 August
• Jim and Isobel Stretton
  Andreas Scholl, Talmer Halperin, Thursday 29 August
• John-Paul and Joanna Temperley
  Véronique Gens, Susan Manoff, Friday 30 August
• Ian Stoutzker
  Cafe Concerts