We’re delighted to announce that the 2026 edition of the National Festival of Youth Theatre, taking place from Friday 3 – Monday 6 July 2026, is now on sale!
About the National Festival of Youth Theatre
Every two years, NFYT creates an explosion of young creative talent, enabling young people to discover and celebrate a shared passion, offering them the opportunity to develop as artists, leaders, audience members and creative thinkers. With an emphasis on inclusion, education and collaboration, NFYT aims to remove barriers, teach valuable life skills and provide extraordinary new experiences.
We also have a brand new host venue, so next summer we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to…
A new home for NFYT
That’s right, in 2026, we look forward to welcoming youth theatre groups from across Scotland and further afield to Inverness, where the festival will be delivered with our partners at Eden Court! The private festival campsite will be situated in the grounds of the nearby Northern Meeting Park.
The event will include programmed shows as well as artistic workshops, social events, a final-night wrap party, and of course, festival camping! Your youth theatre group doesn’t have to perform in order to take part: NFYT always welcomes non-performing groups and audiences who choose to enjoy what the festival has to offer without the pressure of staging a show.
Each morning, after spending the night at our festival campsite, participants will be able to take a short walk across the road to the home of NFYT, Eden Court. This is where we’ll watch and perform in shows, and where all meals will be served.
What does NFYT look like?
NFYT was established by Youth Theatre Arts Scotland in 2004 as the UK’s largest gathering of youth theatres. It usually welcomes around 200 participants representing around 15 different youth theatres from across Scotland and often from further afield.
Are you interested in bringing a group to #NFYT2026? Make sure you check out our pages from previous festivals to get an idea of what to expect. Check out the information packs below, or the pictures and videos on our 2024 and 2022 pages, to get a flavour of the event.
NFYT Access Bursaries
Thanks to the generous support of our funders, we are once again able to offer Access Bursaries for the National Festival of Youth Theatre 2026. For more details on eligibility and applications, see the information packs below, or visit our grant-making pages.
Information Session and Creative Exchange
Are you ready to bring your group to #NFYT2026 in July? Let us help you prepare for the event of the year and make sure you have all the information you need to sign up before festival bookings close in April (or February, if you want to bring a show).
We’re hosting an open Information Session and Creative Exchange for youth theatre leaders who are interested in offering NFYT as an opportunity for their group, whether you want to perform a show, attend without a show, or visit for one day. There will be time for questions and to explore early show ideas with peers. Join us on Wednesday 14 January and leave you feeling confident about what is required to book for your group.
Acknowledgements
The National Festival of Youth Theatre 2026 is produced by Youth Theatre Arts Scotland in partnership with Eden Court Theatre and Highland Council.
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland gratefully acknowledges core funding from Creative Scotland, as well as additional funding kindly provided by the Gannochy Trust, National Lottery: Young Start, the William Syson Foundation, Inverness Common Good Fund, The Arts Society, and the JTH Charitable Trust.
YTAS also thanks Actiph Water and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society for their generous support.
NFYT Administrator needed
We’re looking for a fixed-term NFYT Administrator to help us with the delivery of the festival. Does this sound like you, or somebody you know? Take a look at our job listing to find out more!