Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, will headline a new film and television industry event in Manchester next Thursday as the city region pushes its case to become the future home of the Edinburgh TV Festival. The Mythos Manchester event will be held at the ABC Buildings in the St John’s District and is being positioned as a celebration of talent from the north of England. Burnham is expected to deliver the keynote speech alongside senior figures from the UK screen sector, including BBC iPlayer and channels boss Dan McGolpin and Emily Feller, chief creative officer at Warp Films, the company behind the Netflix hit Adolescence.
The event arrives at a politically charged moment for Burnham, who is widely viewed as a potential challenger to Labour leader Keir Starmer. He is also preparing for a by-election that would return him to the UK Parliament, adding to speculation about his national ambitions. That backdrop has made his appearance at Mythos Manchester especially notable, with his role in the region’s creative strategy now intersecting with wider political attention.
A range of other speakers from across the screen industry are also scheduled to appear, including Caroline Simpson from GMCA, Phil Hunt of Head Gear Films and Bankside Films, Richard Fee of Quay Street Productions, Rob Page of Screen Manchester and Space Studios, Caroline Cooper Charles of Screen Yorkshire, Isabel Davis of Screen Scotland and Dead Man’s Shoes writer Paul Fraser. Their participation underscores the event’s aim of bringing together broadcasters, producers and regional screen bodies.
Manchester has long been one of the UK’s most important centres for television and film production, with a heritage that includes landmark series such as Queer as Folk and 24 Hour Party People. The region continues to build on that legacy with new productions and increased industry interest. Only recently, Russell T. Davies’ Tip Toe, set in Manchester’s iconic Canal Street, launched on Channel 4, adding to the city’s current profile as a creative hub.
The Mythos event also comes as Greater Manchester competes to become the new host of the Edinburgh TV Festival from 2027. The festival is currently considering a move, and a relocation would mark the first time in its 50-year history that it has left Edinburgh. Greater Manchester has reached the final three in the bid, competing against Newcastle and Edinburgh itself. Supporters say the city region offers a strong mix of production infrastructure, creative talent and cultural credibility.
Taken together, the event and the festival bid highlight Greater Manchester’s growing confidence in its screen industries. With established studios, active producers and a deep regional talent pool, the area is seeking to strengthen its position as a national media centre. Burnham’s headline appearance will further underline how central the creative economy has become to the region’s ambitions, both culturally and economically.
