Tag: Castle Street

DRAGON ALERT: Harry Potter dragon headed your way!

  • A replica of the Hungarian Horntail dragon which featured in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire is coming to Edinburgh
  • Complete with a moving head, mouth and eyes, the hydraulic dragon roars and bares its teeth to visitors and was created to celebrate the new Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
  • The dragon will stop off in Edinburgh as part of a UK tour, aiming to take a piece of filmmaking magic from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to fans across the country
  • People visiting Castle Street, Edinburgh will be able to get close to an iconic movie moment and have the opportunity to win tickets to see the full feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London 

Edinburgh will have a rare chance to interact with a piece of Harry Potter filmmaking magic history later this week (30th and 31st May).

A Hungarian Horntail dragon will be landing at Castle Street, Edinburgh in a special appearance outside of its rightful home at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with the magical creature, which fans will recognise from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, experiencing its ability to roar, move and even give passersby a delightful wink of its eye.

The huge animatronic dragon, which weighs 1.3 tonnes, brings to life the fan favourite, nail-biting scene where Harry Potter’s Hungarian Horntail breaks free of its chains during the first task in the Triwizard Tournament. 

The dragon was created to mark the launch of the new ‘Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions’ feature at the Studio Tour, running from 15th May to 8th September 2025. The new feature celebrates the 20th anniversary of the cinematic release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and invites visitors to go behind-the-scenes of the Triwizard Tournament to discover how filmmakers created the iconic competition we see and love on-screen. 

As well as having the rare opportunity to come face to face with a legend of the wizarding world, fans seeing the dragon on tour will have the chance to win tickets to ‘Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions through an exclusive competition. 

Harry Potter filmmaker and Animatronic Designer, Joe Scott, designed the dragon , replicating the creature in the fourth film, complete with a moving head, mouth and eyes and sound effects.

The skilled recreation of the famous dragon was carefully crafted over 750 hours, using materials that included 40 metres of fiberglass. The team first created a series of detailed sketches and CGI mock-ups, before Sculptors, Carpenters and Scenic Artists meticulously built the dragon’s head, which was 3D printed using a scan of the original Hungarian Horntail from the film.

A total of 119 spikes were individually applied to garnish the dragon’s head and tail, taking 265 painstaking hours, whilst 38 razor-sharp teeth were 3D printed in resin to create bite in the creature’s animatronic mouth. 

The stunning creature will give visitors a preview of the new summer feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, where for the first-time ever, fans can explore the Backlot Stage, showcasing the Secrets of Special Effects. This new, dedicated indoor space, offers visitors the opportunity to discover how filmmakers brought the action-packed scenes from the Triwizard Tournament to life. 

Comprising a digital screen, a stage and tiered seating, it promises to uncover secrets that not even the most knowledgeable Muggle will know. From creating the Hungarian Horntail dragon to understanding how Harry Potter held his breath for so long underwater, all will be revealed as part of the feature.

Visitors can also witness a mesmerising demonstration reminiscent of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students’ arrival, featuring Beauxbaton’s iconic blue dresses as seen in the film. 

Geoff Spooner, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London says: “We’re excited to launch our brand-new summer feature, Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions, where visitors can learn behind-the-scenes secrets of the fourth Harry Potter film.

“To celebrate and bring the magic of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to fans across the UK we recreated the iconic moment of the escaped Hungarian Horntail dragon 20 years on from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

Further additions to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London summer feature include Mad-Eye Moody’s arrival into the Great Hall and wizarding journalist Rita Skeeter, best known for her poison pen articles. 

The dragon will land at Castle Street, Edinburgh at 1pm on the 30th and 9am on the 31st May. For those wanting to see more, the Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions is a special feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London running from 15th May – 8th September and all new additions are included in the ticket price. 

Hungarian Horntail National Tour details

Location: Castle Street, Edinburgh

Date and Time: 30th May from 1pm until 9pm, 31st May from 9am until 8pm

Head to www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/whats-on/dragon-tour/ for more info

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop opens in Castle Street tomorrow

Ben & Jerry’s is excited to announce the launch of its NEW SCOOP SHOP, OPENING THIS WEEKEND on Castle Street. 

From 12pm on Saturday 13th July, the doors will open to Scotland’s very first stand-alone Scoop Shop, as the values-led company spreads the joy of Ben & Jerry’s across the UK, as part of its growing portfolio of franchise stores. 

To celebrate the new store, the first 100 customers can get their hands on a free scoop in a sugar cone or cup. 

On Saturday 13th July 2024, ice cream lovers are invited to the grand opening from 12pm to enjoy a scoop of their favourite Ben & Jerry’s flavour at the brand NEW Scoop Shop on Castle Street. At less than a 15-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley station, it’s the perfect first-stop-shop for any new arrivals heading to the area.

Chris Braeger, Head of Franchising UK at Ben & Jerry’s commented: “We’re so excited to be spreading the joy of Ben & Jerry’s across the UK by bringing our scoops and swirls to our fans in Edinburgh with the opening of our first standalone store in Scotland!

“I truly believe we have the best fans in the world and I can’t wait to celebrate with them over a scoop of ice cream. The new store marks one of many set to open this year, so fans should keep their eyes peeled in case their city is next!”  

To celebrate the new store, the first 100 customers can get their hands on a free scoop in a sugar cone or cup. But visitors must be quick, as they aren’t expected to last long! 

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Alongside fan favourites and signature scoops, such as Chocolate Brownie Fudge and iconic Cookie Dough, visitors will be able to try Scoop Shop exclusives, including:

  • Vanilla – a simple but deliciously creamy classic!
  • Double Caramel Brownie – Caramel ice cream with salted caramel swirl and chocolate brownies (utterly irresistible)
  • Cherry Garcia – Cherry flavoured ice cream with cherries and dark chocolatey chunks, a real fan favourite!

Like all Ben & Jerry’s ice creams, the Scoop Shop flavours are lovingly made with Fairtrade chunks and swirls, and can be enjoyed in a cone or cup. Other signature desserts will also be available, including loaded hot fudge sundaes and extra waffle or brownie toppings for your scoop – all customisable with your choice of ice cream and sauces. 

Key details:

  • Where: 4 Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3DW
  • When: Open from Saturday 13th July
  • Opening times: 10am – 11pm

Worried about missing out? If you’re not near Edinburgh, then keep your eyes peeled, as Ben & Jerry’s is set to open more Scoop Shops across the UK over the next year… 

To find your nearest Scoop Shop, visit: www.benjerry.co.uk/ice-cream-near-me  

Riley, Becki Rutherford and Megan Black pop up for surprise set on Castle Street as part of Glasgow Life’s Music Nonstop busking tour

Rising female artists, Riley, Becki Rutherford, and Megan Black surprised passers-by on Castle Street today with a busking set and free tickets to their upcoming Glasgow gigs as part of Glasgow Life’s Glasgow Music Nonstop busking tour.

The busking tour, which makes its second stop in Edinburgh, is bringing together musicians from across Scotland to get people excited about Glasgow’s jam-packed programme of music events this summer.

The three Glasgow artists kicked off the second day of the tour and gave away tickets to their upcoming gigs in Glasgow (all three artists are performing at King Tut’s Summer Nights Festival), in support of the city’s summer of music.

The tour is now gathering pace and makes its final stop in Dundee tomorrow (Friday 22 July).

Riley said: “Glasgow is one of my favourite cities to play in, so I was thrilled when I was asked us to join the Glasgow Music Nonstop busk tour in Edinburgh.

“I’m delighted to be headlining King Tut’s this Sunday and love that Glasgow Music Nonstop is supporting all the fantastic artists that are playing Glasgow this summer.”

Edinburgh resident, Michelle Finlayson was one of the lucky passers-by who managed to snap up a ticket to Becki’s gig. She said: “Being given these tickets totally cheered me up and Becki’s beautiful voice had us dancing along and joining in.

“I absolutely love the live music scene in Glasgow, there’s always a great atmosphere at gigs, so I’m really looking forward to seeing Becki perform there.”

Glasgow Life Chair, Bailie Annette Christie said: “Glasgow enjoys a global reputation as a live music hotspot, with our venues regularly playing host to some of the world’s biggest artists. As the UK’s first, and Scotland’s only, UNESCO City of Music, Glasgow’s music scene has something for all fans, which is a major reason visitors choose to come here.

“The Glasgow Music Nonstop busking tour is our way of bringing a flavour of Glasgow’s summer of music to our fellow Scottish cities and celebrating the artists that make Glasgow’s music scene so vibrant. We’re delighted to support homegrown talent and hopefully get people excited about Glasgow’s upcoming events with some free tickets to enjoy our city’s summer of music.”

Developed by Glasgow Life’s Destination Marketing team, and with the support of VisitScotland’s Destination and Sector Marketing Fund, the ‘Glasgow: Music Nonstop’ busking tour is bringing a line-up that includes Riley, Megan Black, Becki Rutherford, Pages, BOOTlace and Silvi to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Dundee to promote Glasgow’s lively music scene and give music fans across the country the chance to scoop free tickets to upcoming gigs.

Glasgow Life is a charity which delivers culture and sport across Glasgow.

Glasgow’s summer of music kicked off with a bang in June as some of the industry’s biggest names descended on the city’s venues. From Green Day at Bellahouston Park, to Liam Gallagher at Hampden, to the city’s 5th year of TRNSMT festival and King Tut’s Summer Nights, Glasgow is living up to its title of Scotland’s UNESCO City of Music.

With plenty of music events lined up this summer, Glasgow is playing host to Summer Nights at Kelvingrove Bandstand (27 July – 13 August), Merchant City Festival (28-31 July), Piping Live! (6-14 August), the World Pipe Band Championships (12-13 August), and a whole host of other live gigs that span a wide range of genres.

With an impressive range of accommodation, Glasgow is an ideal place to enjoy a music-themed short break and make the most of the city’s lively nightlife. Perfect for music lovers, the Ibis Styles Glasgow Central features showstopping music memorabilia and themed murals in contemporary surroundings.

Fans can follow in the footsteps of music icons Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones by booking a stay at Voco Grand Central Hotel.

For those attending gigs in the city centre, Radisson Blu is a top choice with its music-themed illustrations and photography, and for music fans visiting big names at the OVO Hydro, Radisson Red offers unparalleled views from across the street and plays host to DJs in its rooftop bar.

Find out more about the campaign at www.peoplemakeglasgow.com/see-do/glasgow-for-music-lovers/glasgow-music-nonstop.

Pictures: Mile Wilkinson