More than 3,000 delegates are expected to attend the Edinburgh Finance Festival, running from June 8 to 20, which is set to bring a £1 million boost to the Scottish economy.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the programme includes the 25th World Conference of Banking Institutes in St Andrews and the Ethical Finance Global summit, now in its 11th year.

Talks and roundtables will focus on navigating an increasingly fractured world amid geopolitical turmoil, as well as sessions on green finance, sustainable growth, and the energy transition.

The festival will also mark the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s seminal work The Wealth of Nations, with modern economists and leading financiers interrogating his arguments and reimagining his legacy.

The festival will also examine new trends in the economy, climate, geopolitics and society, charting not only the future of finance, but the future itself.

Hotels, restaurants, and venues are set to benefit, as the festival underlines Edinburgh and Scotland’s growing role as a leading global financial centre, and the natural home for ethical and sustainable finance.

Organisers at the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) estimate the event could generate more than £1 million in gross value added for the economy, as delegates stay, meet, and spend in the capital and beyond.

GEFI works towards a fairer financial system for people and the planet, with a focus on sustainability, tackling climate change, and promoting social justice.

Dame Susan Rice, chair of the global steering group at the Global Ethical Finance Initiative, said: “Following the resounding success of our inaugural event last year, the 2026 Edinburgh Finance Festival returns to tackle the most critical challenges facing the global economy today.

“This year’s programme will once again bring together brilliant minds across finance, technology, and energy to drive meaningful action on climate change, social equality, and sustainable growth.

“Scotland has a long, proud history of financial innovation, and this event further strengthens our position as a global centre for responsible and ethical finance.

“By providing a collaborative platform for policymakers and industry leaders, we can share the practical solutions needed to ensure finance remains a powerful, driving force for good.

“As global economic and environmental pressures continue to mount, it has never been more important for us to unite and build a fairer, greener financial system for everyone.”

Delegates will attend the Ethical Finance Global Summit on June 18 at Edinburgh’s Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa.

The event will explore whether the mounting challenges facing the sector will force a retreat, trigger a recalibration, or revitalise the industry.

The programme will focus on how financial leaders can retain credibility, competitiveness, and purpose while navigating an increasingly uncertain world.

Dame Susan will be among the speakers at the summit, alongside the author and economist Professor Sir John Kay, Barry O’Dwyer, group chief executive of Royal London, and Khadija Ali, Lloyds Banking Group’s Director of Sustainability and Responsible Business.

A series of in-depth, invitation-only workshops will also take place at the SDG Hive on June 17, hosted at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Featuring industry experts and global financial leaders, the Hive aims to enhance the contribution of private funding towards achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals.

The World Conference of Banking Institutes will bring together banking leaders, academics, and regulators to explore how technology, trust, and professional standards will shape the next generation of banking.

Hosted by the Chartered Banker Institute and running from June 16 to 18, it will examine the forces transforming the profession, from AI and technological advances to shifting expectations around ethics, responsibility, and public confidence.

Tanya Retter, chief executive of the Chartered Banker Institute, said: “As the Chartered Banker Institute continues to champion professionalism and responsible banking worldwide, we welcome the Edinburgh Finance Festival as a valuable platform for dialogue and collaboration.

“We are delighted to support this year’s programme that inspires fresh thinking and collective action across the sector.

“This year’s event promises to broaden its reach and ambition, as well as its geography,  as this spirit of the festival will come with us from our home in Edinburgh to St Andrews, where we will be hosting the 25th World Conference of Banking Institutes in partnership with the University of St Andrews Business School Executive Education.

“This will bring together international delegates from professional bodies, banks, regulators and academic institutions to discuss the future of banking professionalism in an era of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.”