Hidden Door, the long-standing arts festival revitalising locations across Edinburgh, has announced that its new venue will be The Paper Factory in the city's Maybury Quarter. 

A 15.5-acre site occupied by the former Saica paper and cardboard manufacturing facility on the western edge of Edinburgh, the site features a mix of warehouses, factory floors, offices and outhouses. The team at Hidden Door will a host special launch party on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November to give audiences a preview of some of the intricate spaces in their biggest venue yet.

Full details of the November programme will be announced next month, with tickets now on sale. As with previous Hidden Door events, there will be free access during the day on Saturday 23 November. A full festival will then be held at the site in spring 2025. 

Hazel Johnson, Festival Director of Hidden Door, said, ‘Every new venue we take on presents unique opportunities and challenges, and this vast space is no different. We can’t wait to start work transforming the towering buildings, acres of warehouses and – in true Hidden Door style – all the nooks and crannies into one of our most ambitious arts venues yet.

‘In addition to the festival, The Paper Factory will provide a base for Hidden Door to work with artists on site specific performance and art, commission new work and take huge steps towards our sustainability goals with workshops, studios and more.

‘Our Venue Launch Party in November will provide a sneak peek into what we have in store. We look forward to welcoming you to the Paper Factory.’

Stuart Black, Development Director for Summix Capital, said, ‘We are proud to be part of Hidden Door’s story by making this unique space available to them and the creative community they have built. 

‘Our vision is for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh to be one of the most exciting and best-connected development sites in Scotland. We’re really excited to see what Hidden Door’s artists can do with the space this autumn and throughout 2025.’

Hidden Door cemented its reputation by repurposing old or disused buildings across Edinburgh for arts and culture extravaganzas, showcasing work from grassroots and international talent. Previous venues have included the disused Market Street vaults, Leith Theatre, the Granton Gas Works and the Old Royal High School. Most recently, the team opened up the Basement 3 car park of the St James Quarter for an immersive two-night birthday party celebrating a decade of Hidden Door festivals.

Tickets for Hidden Door’s Paper Factory launch event are on sale now; main picture: Jim Coltham.