Scotland’s arts sector has been left in limbo after SNP ministers and Creative Scotland agreed to delay a major funding announcement until next year. 

The quango was supposed to share the results of its multi-year funding decisions later this month, but the 281 applicants will now need to wait until January, after the Scottish Government’s budget.

One industry boss warned that the delay would add "further anxiety and pressure to a sector already stretched to its limits."

Many of the country’s best-known theatres, arts centres, festivals, venues and organisations will have applied to the fund, which guarantees cash for for costs and work for three years. 

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Appearing before Holyrood's Culture Committee, Culture Secretary Angus Robertson told MSPs he was “entirely dependent on clarity from the UK Government about what our budgetary situation is likely to be".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to set out the UK Government's budget on October 30, with Shona Robison then expected to unveil the Scottish Government's budget on December 4.

The Scottish Government has promised to increase investment in the sector by £100 million a year by 2028-29, with an additional £25m expected to be provided in 2025-26.

Mr Robertson told MSPs: “It is only once we have the necessary practical assurance around the Scottish Government’s budget for 2025-26 that we will be able to set our commitments for the culture portfolio.”

He told the committee: “The current Scottish Government is operating in a minority parliamentary situation, so to get a budget through it will require a majority of MSPs to vote for the budget.

“That’s why it’s not just a question of commitments by the government.

“If we are agreed that the scale of the challenge is such that it is, and if we are agreed we require to deliver additional resources that the government has committed to wanting to deliver, then we need to vote for it.”

Announcing the delay of the multi-year funding announcement, Robert Wilson, Chair of Creative Scotland, said: “While we would have preferred to announce the outcome from this application process in October as planned and have been working collaboratively with Scottish Government to endeavour to do so, we also understand the extreme budget pressures that exist.

“These pressures mean we are required to postpone the outcome until such time as we have budget clarity. This will enable us to make final decisions in a context of budget confidence and to support as many organisations on a multi-year basis as we possibly can.”

Robert Kilpatrick, CEO and Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association warned that the "significant uncertainty" had "cast a shadow over Scotland’s cultural sector".

He said:  "This delay adds further anxiety and pressure to a sector already stretched to its limits, and significantly impacts the lead time for both the planning and delivery of programmes of work."

The music industry leader added: "The Scottish Government has not yet confirmed whether the planned £25 million increase in cultural funding for 2025 will be in place by 1 April, leaving artists, freelancers and organisations alike at breaking point.

"Recent events have eroded hope and trust in our sector, and today’s announcement is yet another blow to Scotland’s cultural landscape which is already on its knees."

Scottish Labour's Culture Spokesperson Neil Bibby accused the minister of repeatedly breaking promises to the sector.

He said: "Time and again, Angus Robertson promised that Creative Scotland would receive £25million next year – a promise he has now broken leaving theatres, venues and festivals in limbo. 

"Angus Robertson has not led arts organisations up the garden path as much as to the edge of the cliff.

"He has unleashed chaos on our cultural sector at the time that our artists, musicians and creatives desperately want clarity." 

Scottish Tory shadow culture secretary Meghan Gallacher described the news a "the latest bitter blow for Scotland’s arts sector which has been repeatedly undermined by SNP ministers."

“Many arts and cultural organisations are on the brink of collapse yet are now facing a further period of huge uncertainty," she added.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The SNP’s excuses and platitudes are worth nothing to a sector it has repeatedly thrown under the bus.

“Endless disruption and uncertainty- that’s all this government can offer them."