Push to revive Scottish festival after hugely-popular event axed due to £120k council funding cut

The Kirkintilloch Canal Festival, which traditionally runs each year in August to September and attracts thousands of visitors, has been axed after East Dunbartonshire Council said it could no longer afford to fund the event.

A total of £120,000 in external costs would have been required to run the festival.

The council said the initial decision, confirmed publicly earlier this week, had been taken after the authority’s budget meeting in March last year, and updated in December.

The decision to cancel the flagship event, which is based around the town’s marina and Forth & Clyde Canal, has been branded a “great shame” by local residents.

But the event’s axing has sparked a push by the Kirkintilloch Business Improvement District [BID], which represents around 150 local businesses, to create a new community festival.

A spokesperson for the Kirkintilloch BID said: “We want to galvanise the local community to ensure a similar event goes ahead this summer, such as a community festival.

“The festival, in its current form, may have been cancelled. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t take this as an opportunity to build something new, something sustainable, and something that keeps the heart of the event alive.

“This Canal Festival was a much-loved annual event, which showed Kirkintilloch at its finest, while being a key driver for the local economy and attracting tourists to the area.

“Many local businesses had already started planning for this event and were relying on the income that the event generated. To cancel the festival now is a major blow to the community and business. We are determined to do everything we can to ensure there is still a date in the calendar for everyone in Kirkintilloch to look forward to.”

The spokesperson added: “We are in talks with the council to get a breakdown of the event plans to see what external funding we can get to start planning for a new Community Festival. Plans are also underway to organise an emergency community meeting to formulate a plan of action.

“We are reaching out to anyone in the area who can help with funding or ideas to come forward.”

An emergency community meeting will be held in the coming weeks as part of the fresh festival bid.

Ann Davie, chief executive of East Dunbartonshire Council, said: “The council continues to work with a range of local organisations and businesses, including Kirkintilloch BID and Milngavie BID, providing assistance where possible, against a challenging financial backdrop, to help sustain and strengthen local communities and the economy.”

In explaining the decision to end support, Ms Davie previously said the council hoped to find funding to support the festival again in future years.

"For the festival to take place in future, external funding to cover the full costs of £120,000 would need to be secured and done so in enough time to plan its delivery,” she said.

“Unfortunately, external funds weren't available for 2025. While the event will not go ahead this year, we will continue working to identify relevant external funding opportunities for future years."