Friday February 20th 2026
Leith Theatre Main Auditorium during a concert in 2019 (photo by Gaelle Beri)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Last week, Leith Theatre secured £5 million investment from the City of Edinburgh Council’s up-coming Transient Visitor Levy to reopen as a year-round civic music and community space.
Almost 100 years ago, the Edinburgh Council gifted Leith Town Hall to the people of Leith and last week, the council renewed that commitment and invested in its restoration so it can once again serve the city and its communities.
Announcing that the £5 million funding secured will be given through the capital’s newly introduced Visitor Levy, the theatre explained that the funds are crucial to unlocking the next stage of the heritage buildings restoration, enabling it to reopen permanently.
The Visitor Levy is designed to reinvest income from tourism back into Edinburgh’s infrastructure and cultural life. As a year-round venue welcoming both residents and visitors, Leith Theatre aims to strengthen the city’s cultural offer beyond the city centre, supporting local businesses in Leith and contributing to Edinburgh’s wider economy.
Expressing Edinburgh’s pride in being the first local authority in the UK to push ahead with a city-wide visitor levy, Edinburgh Council Leader explained that the levy will not only enhance tourism and events in the city, but bring back cultural venues such as Leith Theatre.
She explained: “Let’s not forget why we’re doing this. These spend programmes will help us not only to sustain and enhance the things that make our city so special, but also to better manage the effects of tourism and major events on those who live here all year round.
“But it’s so much more than that. After all, what’s not to like about visitors to Edinburgh contributing towards projects and services that benefit us all?
“We can now invest further in our plentiful parks and greenspaces, transform our city into a cleaner, greener and more welcoming environment, put more police on our streets and bring much-loved cultural venues such as the Royal High School and Leith Theatre back into use for the first time in decades. The list goes on.”
Following the investment announcement, Leith Theatre explained:
“That sense of accessibility and opportunity really matters. It’s about being able to head to your local venue, just around the corner or a short commute away, and step into a space where you feel confident, excited and like you belong.”
Over the past decade, the theatre operated as a pop-up venue, bringing live music, theatre, comedy and film back into the building. Through showcasing the space, bringing people into the building, testing ideas and creating partnerships, they have demonstrated the demand and passion for a mid-size cultural venue in Leith.
Leith Theatre in 2022 (photo by Ben Glasgow)
Alongside the £5 million investment, in 2025 Leith Theatre secured a 50-year lease on the building, announced as a National Lottery Heritage Fund Project.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Visitor Levy investment is a significant vote of confidence, allowing the theatre to move from potential to delivery.
Once running as a full-time venue, Leith Theatre will operate seven days a week, welcoming up to 200,000 projected visits annually for live music, film, community activity, youth programmes, classes, heritage events and everyday social connection. This activity will increase footfall in Leith, support hospitality and retail businesses and strengthen the city’s year-round cultural economy.
A Memory Project participant reflecting on his first time working at Leith Theatre in the 1960s explained:
“This was a place where people who didn’t normally go to the Festival often did go to the Festival”.
Another Memory Project participant reflecting on time spent attending concerts in the 1970s explained:
“It’s like when you’re a wee kid and you wake up on Christmas morning, it’s that kind of excitement, and you can hardly believe you’re there watching the band that last month you seen on TV on Top of the Pops, or the band that you’ve been struggling to play on guitar for the last few weeks. It was just absolutely fantastic.”
The 1,500 capacity Main Auditorium will host regular gigs, touring artists and festivals, alongside a year-round programme of smaller performances and community activity.
Explaining that the venue will have ‘the energy and atmosphere of Scotland’s great live music spaces but with Leith at its heart’, the theatre have expressed their ambition to reopen.
They said: “Our ambition is for this to be a place where a child might attend first on a school trip, return as a teenager for their first gig, get involved with youth activity, and perhaps later perform on stage themselves… and yes, we hope this becomes your new favourite venue!”
“This has always been a project for the people, by the people. Now, with real momentum behind us, we move forward with renewed determination to secure Leith Theatre’s future as a permanent and vibrant cultural home for Leith and the city.”
Currently in the National Lottery Heritage Fund development phase of refining designs and strengthening foundations, the theatre is working alongside architects Holmes Miller to reopen.
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