Bristol’s MAYK Launches Fundraising Campaign For Mayfest
The arts organisation has put its next theatre festival on ‘pause’
Mayfest, a popular theatre festival, has been put on pause for 2026. The organisers behind the event are aiming to use the space to safeguard its future.
MAYK – which has recently become a charity – is led by Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin. Its Mayfest is always a cultural highlight in Bristol’s calendar.
Now the organisers say ‘rapidly rising costs’ as well as ‘economic challenges’ and MAYK’s commitment to Pay What You Can ticketing has left the organisation unable to run a programme in 2026.
As it takes two-years to plan and organise the festival, the pair have put the next event on hold, calling the pause ‘a strategic choice, a moment to breathe, rethink, and regroup.’
‘As we head into winter, we know that the risk is simply too great and the fundraising climate too challenging to be able to move into our next programming cycle confidently,’ they say.
‘We haven’t taken this decision lightly. It’s the result of long conversations with each other, our team, our board and our stakeholders. This pause is a strategic choice, a moment to breathe, rethink, and regroup. We need to find new ways to continue creating the extraordinary experiences you have come to love.’
The charity is now asking people for support to secure its future. A fundraising drive has been launched, aiming to secure £30,000. They are asking people to consider joining a friend’s scheme or to make a one-off donation.
A lot of ‘vital work’ happens off of the public’s radar, with MAYK supporting artists, hosting residencies and producing new and innovative work.
For more information about how to support MAYK, visit: https://www.mayk.org.uk/support-us
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