King's Theatre: Funding boost of £2m for Edinburgh venue amid pledge to open refurbished theatre in 2025

The theatre will be full accessible for the first time in its history

The head of the organisation behind a major refurbishment of Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre says she “has to be confident” the remaining funding needed to plug the gap for the project will be raised – as the iconic building was given a £2 million boost by the UK Government.

Fiona Gibson, chief executive of Capital Theatres, which manages the theatre, said the organisation was working with trusts, foundations, individuals and the general public to raise the final £500,000 needed for the £35m regeneration project, which is due to be completed in 2025.

The 117-year-old theatre, owned by Edinburgh City Council, is one of 17 community locations in Scotland to benefit from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The King's Theatre is undergoing a £35m refurbishment.

"We have to be confident we will get there,” she said. “Today is a really exciting day for us. The fund makes a massive difference to our project. We do still have some money to raise and it helps us reduce that amount, but it really does help us make sure we can preserve the King’s Theatre for the future and for all the communities who will use it.”

MP John Lamont announced the £2m funding on a visit to the theatre – one of the highest-ever grants given out as part of the fund.

Ms Gibson said the money would help fund parts of the project which will make the King’s fully accessible for the first time in its history.

Two lifts are to be built to allow access to the upper floors. A new community hub will allow the theatre to host activities such as songwriting and singing, storytelling, language cafes and relaxed performances. A cafe will be created on the ground floor.

The theatre will be fully accessible for the first time in its history.

"Accessibility is such a big piece of the jigsaw here,” Ms Gibson said. “It means everybody will have the opportunity to come in here all over the building.”

Mr Lamont said he had been given a virtual tour of the plans for the King’s and also seen the building work first-hand.

He said: "I've seen first-hand the ongoing upgrade works on what is fondly known as ‘the people's theatre’ and heard about the exciting plans for when it reopens in 2025. I'm delighted this funding will help ensure that this cherished venue can be enjoyed by generations to come.”

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government donated £3.85m to the King’s Theatre project, while Edinburgh City Council allocated an extra £3m.

MP John Lamont, under secretary of state for Scotland and Fiona Gibson, chief executive at Capital Theatres, at Edinburgh's King's Theatre.

The UK Government fund – worth a total of £150m – was launched in 2021 to provide targeted support for community places. The Old Clyne School in Brora will also receive a £2m grant to turn it into a community museum, while other projects to benefit include the Fair Isle Bird Observatory and the conversion of the old Co-op bakery in West Calder into an interactive discovery centre. The latter two projects will each receive £550,000.

A major refurbishment of the King’s was originally intended to be carried out in time for the venue’s 100th anniversary in 2006. However, the project was delayed by funding problems. New designs were finally unveiled in 2018, only for the start of work on the revamp to be halted by the pandemic.