Great Britain takes a starring role at TIFF 2025

VisitBritain is showcasing its new ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

The international campaign was launched earlier this year and is using the powerful draw of film and TV locations and places seen-on-screen to inspire visitors to discover more of Britain.

Next week, VisitBritain will be shining the spotlight on the film and TV experiences that visitors can only have in Britain at a ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ reception (Sept. 8) and at a TIFF Gala Presentation of Hamnet, featuring filming locations in Wales and Herefordshire.

Visit Britain will also highlight filming locations across Yorkshire, at Highclere Castle and locations in London’s West End at a screening of British film Downton Abbey: the Grand Finale (showing outside the festival). The joint events with UK government colleagues will highlight Britain’s visitor offer alongside it’s vibrant creative industries.

VisitBritain’s latest research shows that among those Canadian visitors considering a trip to the UK, shows 87% of those surveyed would be interested in visiting a film or tv location.

VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates observed: “Britain’s destinations are the real star of the show as we harness the powerful draw of screen tourism to attract Canadian visitors and drive their spending across our nations and regions, boosting local economies.”

Yates continued: “Here at TIFF, celebrating the festival’s 50th anniversary, we’re using film and TV as the hook to tell the story of Britain today – showcasing our dynamic and diverse destinations and putting our warm welcome centre-stage.”

And VisitBritain’s CEO added: “From exploring our vibrant cities, world-class attractions and stunning countryside, the backdrop to so many iconic filming locations, to enjoying our exciting contemporary culture and hospitality, we’re inspiring Canadians to put themselves in the picture, discover more and book a trip to Britain right now.”

And through its ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign, VisitBritain wants visitors to be the co-star — from action-packed cities to romantic rural escapes, visitors are invited to step into the real-life places that inspire your favourite films and TV shows.

As the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off, the 40 British films and co-productions on screen will feature even more incredible UK filming locations.

• Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Lincolnshire’s Burghley House sending shivers down spines in the new adaptation of Frankenstein.
• National Trust-managed Cwmmau Farmhouse in Herefordshire is the filming location for the childhood home of Agnes (Anne) Shakespeare in Hamnet
• The Big Six Inn, a historic pub in Halifax, West Yorkshire, served as a local Yorkshire pub in The Choral.

Film and TV-loving visitors really are spoilt for choice in Britain. Here are a few favourites:

• In Bath, take a Bridgerton-themed walking tour and enjoy a Regency afternoon tea with a modern twist, timely with this year marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen.
• Visit Alnwick Castle in Northumberland for Harry Potter inspired broomstick lessons or head to the Warner Bros Studio Tour near London to see how the magic was made.
• In Manchester, explore Captain America filming locations on a tour of the Northern Quarter or visit the Black Country Living Museum in the West Midlands to see where Peaky Blinders was filmed.
• Walk the beaches of North Wales featured in House of the Dragon or visit historic Wrexham and discover the city behind the football club so many fans have come to love watching Welcome to Wrexham.
• Relive Bond scenes in Glen Coe and the Cairngorms National Park on a self-drive tour through Scotland. Or visit the real locations featured in Outlander, from stunning landscapes to coastal castles right across Scotland

Go to www.visitbritain.com/en for more.

Photo credit — Gardens of Burghley House, near Stamford. Destination Lincolnshire/Tony Pleavin