Aberdeen Performing Arts has published its annual review, celebrating a year of community connection and inspiration, and revealing visitor numbers of almost 400,000 across more than 800 performances.
The award-winning arts organisation created more opportunities than ever before within the North East’s cultural sector in the 12 months from April 2025 to March 2026, with the review documenting the difference that APA makes to individuals and communities across the North East, including generating £49.9 million for the local economy by bringing almost 1.5 million visits to Aberdeen.
Festivals such as the youth arts focussed Light the Blue and the introduction of the Aberdeen Queer Arts Festival addressed different community needs, creating a rich and balanced programme of creative engagement, while Aberdeen Comedy Festival was reimagined and revitalised, attracting more than 15,000 attendances and bringing some of the biggest names in comedy to the city alongside the most exciting emerging talent from across the UK.
Meanwhile, Granite Noir celebrated its tenth anniversary with a refreshed identity, reaffirming its reputation as one of Scotland’s most distinctive literary festivals, and the Aberdeen Performing Arts International Season continued to grow in confidence and ambition, welcoming artists and companies from Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Aberdeen Performing Arts CEO/Creative Director, Sharon Burgess, said: “Our purpose is simple: to bring the joy of arts, creativity and live performance to all. We have invested in our people, completed the transformation of the Lemon Tree, strengthened partnerships with artists and organisations across Scotland and beyond, and continued to remove barriers so that more people can experience the arts in ways that work for them.
Creativity remains a force for connection, opportunity and positive change, and our social and civic contribution remains our central focus. My sincere thanks go to our staff, volunteers, trustees, artists, partners, supporters and funders for their commitment and generosity throughout the year. Above all, thank you to our audiences and participants. Your enthusiasm, encouragement and belief in what we do continue to inspire us.
Aberdeen Performing Arts Chair, Edel Harris, said: “This year, we’ve delivered an inspiring programme across all our venues and continued to focus on accessibility and inclusion. We have continued to invest in our staff and volunteers as the people who bring our vision to life. “Looking ahead, we remain ambitious for the future. By investing in artists, audiences and young people, developing new work, expanding our role as a producer and advancing our sustainability goals, we are helping to build a resilient cultural sector for generations to come.”
In 2025-2026, Aberdeen Performing Arts continued to make significant investments and create meaningful opportunities in the North-east’s cultural sector. Co-productions included St Joan, with Raw Material and Perth Theatre, and The High Life, with National Theatre of Scotland, Dundee Rep and Capital Theatres.
Programme highlights included the only Scottish stop on a world tour of Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet, a stunning new production of Miss Saigon and a new affiliation with Dance Consortium, bringing performances to the city that have never visited before, including the spectacular Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana.
Some of the most significant impacts were seen through Aberdeen Performing Arts’ Take Part workshops. Through hands-on creative activities, collaboration and performance, participants developed new skills, increased their confidence and discovered new ways to express themselves. Just as importantly, they built meaningful connections with others. Friendships were formed, confidence flourished and participants reported a stronger sense of belonging within their communities and even within their own families.
APA hosted nine exhibitions including two new digital commissions along with three new art commissions and partnerships with Gray’s School of Art and Grampian Hospital Arts Trust.
A commitment to equality and access was demonstrated through a wide range of accessible performances and inclusive programming. From gifted tickets for schools, families and charities.
The charity’s financial position reports a planned deficit of £793,262. £680,000 is attributable to previous long-term capital investments in its venues and is fully funded by reserves held for this purpose, reflecting its mission to support the future of the arts in Aberdeen and beyond. The remainder can be attributed to a commitment to a continued investment in APA staff and the strengthening of strategic infrastructure, amidst recent inflation and rising costs.
Looking ahead, APA will continue to strengthen revenue streams as well as making use of a strong balance sheet position to ensure the continued successful delivery of its charitable objectives for future years.
Sharon added: ” By prioritising local partnerships wherever possible, we help ensure that investment in culture delivers benefits throughout the region. As well as this, we are proud that Aberdeen Performing Arts is representing the North East in national scale collaborations, reinforcing the message that Aberdeen is a place where ambitious cultural work can be created, developed and presented.”
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said: “This a very positive review and shows that the arts and culture are thriving in Aberdeen. We are justly proud of our partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts in delivering hugely successful events such as Granite Noir and the annual review underlines the importance of the partnership and the benefits it brings to the city.”
Whether it is the thrill of a standing ovation, the excitement of discovering a new artist or the shared joy of a live performance, these experiences create lasting memories and demonstrate the unique power of the arts to bring people together.
