The 2026 Edinburgh Festival of the Sacred Arts built significantly on the successes of previous years, bringing a week-long programme of nineteen events plus an exhibition to the Edinburgh Fringe. Hosted in twelve city centre church venues, the events ranged widely over music, poetry, drama, film, architecture and painting, all drawing on the rich Christian inheritance in the arts.
Special highlights included:
Opening service in St Giles Cathedral with the acclaimed cathedral choir.
‘Whatever you do: music for the Homeless Jesus’ in St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, a concert inspired by Timothy Schmalz’s statue The Homeless Jesus, and drawing together artists and agencies concerned with homelessness in Edinburgh.
‘Bordering on the Sacred’, an exhibition of works selected from submissions by artists right across Scotland.
Competition finals for young composers of sacred music and young poets of religious verse.
Three newly commissioned anthems celebrating ‘The Musical Wesleys’.
‘Exploring Sacred Space’ - guided tours of five of Edinburgh’s exceptional but less well known churches.
Collaborating organizations included National Churches Trust, Scottish Poetry Library and Scottish Network for Religion and Literature
Special Thanks to our Supporters
The Edinburgh Sacred Arts Foundation is a registered Scottish Charity (SC051554). It relies on grants and donations to cover the cost of organization and publicity, to fund prizes for its competitions, and to ensure that ticket prices for its events can be kept as low as possible. The 2026 Festival was generously funded by Action of Churches Together in Scotland; Canonmills Church; Christian Arts Trust; Church Hymnary Trust; H R Creswick Trust; Edinburgh Society of Organists; William Baird Ross Trust; James and Jesse Shaw Trust, SCOPS Trust, Royal College of Organists.
