Refugee Festival Scotland 2025 will run from 13-22 June 2025. Our theme for this special anniversary year, which marks 25 years of the Festival, and 40 years of Scottish Refugee Council, is MILESTONES. 

WHY MILESTONES? 

Refugee Festival Scotland 2025 is a moment to remember past decades, reflect on the present, and look towards the future, as we celebrate milestones in communities across Scotland. 

We commemorate decades of cultural enrichment, renewal and welcome, made possible through providing sanctuary in Scotland, and we pay tribute to the day-to-day effort, creativity and coming together of so many people which sustain this.

We invite celebrations of individual and collective milestones, of resounding and fragile milestones, of milestones yet to come. 

We mark years of championing New Scot creativity as a vital part of Scottish culture, which deserves to be meaningfully supported, lived and carried forward.

Rooted in empathy and care, the Festival is made possible by the generosity of countless people in Scotland, who volunteer their time and skills to make it happen. As we approach our 25^th edition, we want to share our deep gratitude and celebrate everyone’s collective effort, hospitality and genuine support.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

We can’t wait to see the many ways in which groups, organisations, artists, activists and others respond to this year’s theme.

MILESTONES is open to your interpretation, based on what is meaningful for you and your community – it could be about celebrating the cultural heritage of your community and the milestones you have reached, it could be a reflection on personal milestones and journeys taken within a lifetime. You might want to explore milestones not yet reached – milestones that you would like to see for those seeking safe passage in Scotland. 

Here are dates to look out for as you plan for next year’s Festival:

• Event registration guidelines and details of funding opportunities will be posted from early January 2025  
• Event registration will continue till late April 2025
• Volunteer opportunities will be posted from mid-March 2025

Please check back in early January, and/or sign up for our newsletter below to receive all upcoming updates.

HOW DID WE CHOOSE THE THEME? 

Many voices and conversations have fed into the theme of MILESTONES.

This year, Refugee Festival Scotland collaborated with the poet, playwright, mbira musician, educator and facilitator; Tawona Sitholé, to facilitate a series of listening conversations and gatherings with past event organisers of the Festival. 

During these discussions, there was reflection on where we are currently, important anniversaries and what we’d like to see in the future. From these conversations, MILESTONES emerged as a key theme. 

Tawona created the poem; ‘Walk a milestone in my shoes’, in response to these gatherings, which may help spark ideas.