Major studios have already booked 90% of prime UK and Irish studio space for 2026, two full years in advance. signaling an unprecedented production surge. Total projected spend for film and high-end TV in the UK and Ireland for 2026 will exceed £8 billion, a 15% increase from 2024, according to a Screen Industry Report. At least 70 major high-end TV series and 30 feature films are slated to shoot across both regions in 2026, based on Production Hub Data.

Investment and demand for UK/Ireland productions are at an all-time high. Yet, existing infrastructure and skilled workforces struggle to keep pace. creating a tension between capital influx and physical capacity.

A production boom is likely for the UK and Ireland in 2026. However, this growth will be constrained and potentially unsustainable without significant, proactive investment in talent and facilities.

UK and Ireland Production Trends

  • New government tax incentives in Ireland, effective 2025, attract an additional 10-15 large-scale international productions, according to the Irish Film Board.
  • Pinewood Studios and Ardmore Studios have announced expansions totaling 15 new sound stages, operational by late 2025, as stated in Studio Development Reports.
  • Streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon have committed to increasing their UK/Ireland-based content commissioning by 25% year-on-year through 2026, according to Streamer Financial Filings.
  • The UK's High-End TV Tax Relief scheme remains a primary draw, accounting for 70% of inward investment productions, the BFI Annual Report states.

These facts reveal a deliberate, multi-faceted investment from both public and private sectors. Strategic government policies and significant private capital directly fuel this growth, establishing the region as a global production hotspot. and this concentration of content creation transforms these nations into critical, yet vulnerable, global production hubs.

Challenges for UK and Ireland Film and TV

Production companies anticipate significant difficulty sourcing experienced crew for 2026 projects; 85% reported this in a Creative UK Skills Report. Concurrently, accommodation costs for transient production teams in hubs like London and Dublin have risen 30% in the last year, impacting budgets, as reported by the Location Managers Guild. highlighting the human and logistical costs of the boom.