We have launched a public appeal to support Hidden Door Festival’s return in 2024, as we set our sights on transforming more spaces across the city.

Hidden Door opens up forgotten urban spaces for the public to explore and discover new art, music and performances. Earlier this year, we transformed the former Scottish Widows HQ on Dalkeith Road, attracting 10,000 visitors from across the city and receiving 5-star reviews.

Today we can reveal more about our plans to return in 2024, celebrating the festival’s 10th anniversary. We have found several potential new sites across Edinburgh and are now seeking to raise £20,000 in funds to take our plans to the next stage.

Over the years, Hidden Door has supported over 3000 artists and performers to develop work and reach new audiences. Our volunteer-run charity is entirely funded through ticket sales, sponsorship and fundraising. All money raised goes into running the festival and ensuring their creative contributors are fairly paid.

Festival Director Hazel Johnson said:

“Next year is our festival’s 10th anniversary, and we already have our eye on some very exciting potential new venues. We love making Hidden Door, and are so grateful for all the love and support that people have shown us over the years.

“We are now asking for help to keep that going, to open up more spaces and to support more artists to create and exhibit new work, providing paid opportunities for early career artists and performers across Scotland.

“Investing in the arts is more important than ever, and with cultural organisations across the sector having difficult conversations about funding and the spiralling cost of putting on live events, this needs more than words.

“We feel privileged to have opened up so many amazing spaces all over the city for people to explore, supporting hundreds of creatives to collaborate as part of a community, developing new work and finding new audiences. Every donation to our fundraiser will take us a step closer to doing this again in 2024.”

The Hidden Door fundraiser can be found at helpthenexthiddendoor.raisely.com or below…