Organisers will be keeping an anxious eye on weather forecasts as Edinburgh’s biggest night of the year is here. High winds and rain wreaked havoc during the night, but the weather is forecast to improve later today.
With festivities likely to go ahead as planned, organisers of Edinburgh’s world famous street party are urging revellers to be warm, to stay safe and to enjoy all that Edinburgh has to offer this Hogmanay.
The City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Borders Police, NHS Lothian, G4S Events and the Met Office met on Friday to discuss arrangements and they have offered advice to help revellers bring in the New Year safely.
Cllr Steve Cardownie, Festival and Events Champion, said: “To make sure you and your friends have the best possible time seeing in the bells at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, take some simple steps to look after yourself: dress for the weather, bring your New Year cheer in plastic bottles, and use your common sense. It’s also a good idea to heed the advice from police and stewards, who will be working extremely hard on the night to make sure everyone enjoys themselves safely, and to establish a pre-arranged meeting point in the event you become separated from your group. Look after yourself and your friends and help us welcome 2013 in style.”
Looking ahead to the weather forecast for Hogmanay, Graeme Forrester, Public Weather Service Advisor for the Met Office, said: “There will be a fresh to strong west to North West wind with rain affecting the Edinburgh area on Monday morning clearing away to give generally dry weather with lighter winds over the bells and temperatures staying above freezing at 2 or 3C. As always revellers should dress for the conditions and wrap up warm.”
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party organisers are offering a few extra tips for revellers to bear in mind:
- Follow the instructions on the Hogmanay Street Party tickets
- Dress for the weather
- Look after each other and arrange a meeting point
- Think about how to get home
- Police and stewards are on duty to look after everyone’s safety – bags may be searched on entry
- Revellers are encouraged not to bring under 16s to Street Party on the 31 December.
- People under the influence of too much alcohol may be refused entry
- No one will get in unless they have an Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party ticket
- Don’t bring glass into the arena
- Pay bars and food outlets are located within the Street Party Arena.day 30 December.
The three day Festival began with a torchlit procession last night, but the biggest draw to the programme is undoubtedly Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Now in its 20th year, the world famous event welcomes 75,000 revellers from around the world to the ‘Home of Hogmanay’. With a total of five live music stages featuring headliners The Maccabees, Reverend and the Maker, Admiral Fallow and Shooglenifty. Throw in one of the world’s largest New Year fireworks displays and you have the ultimate Edinburgh’s Hogmanay experience.
On the same night, Concert in the Gardens headliners Simple Minds will be having their own party beneath Edinburgh castle and are joined by special guests, The View. The Concert in the Gardens is opened by local Edinburgh band Bwani Junction.
If you like a bit more birl with the bells, then The Keilidh is the place to be. Dance the night away on the outdoor ceilidh dance floor on Mound Precinct to the very best in traditional music with Hugh McDiarmid’s Haircut, Ceilidhdonia and The Brechin City Rollers.
The fun continues tomorrow (Tuesday 1 January) with the Loony Dook, the annual dip in the River Forth at South Queensferry at 1.30pm. Revellers are also invited to come and join in Your Lucky Day. Atmospheric theatre, spoken word, unique musical performances and even a lucky tearoom will be hidden in destinations around the city from the Greyfriars Kirk to The City Art Centre, The Roxy Hall to The Hub. Revellers will be invited to start at Destination 1, the National Museum of Scotland, and to throw a dice to decide their first destination. They allow the dice to decide their route around the Old Town for the rest of the afternoon.
Lucky participants might join in the dancing at the Highland Ceilidh or the Hogmanay Hoedown, enjoy inspiring music from young Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni or shiver at the folk song ghost story Crows Bones. They might immerse themselves in Duncan Chisholm’s Kin, a beautifully crafted journey into the past using music, narrative and film, try The Luck Factor with Professor Richard Wiseman or enjoy a Scottish afternoon tea with a difference in The Lucky Tearoom. Audiences are expected to visit a number of performance destinations during the afternoon.
For full programme details or to book tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay visit the official website or telephone the Box Office on 0844 573 8455. Tickets are available in person from The Fringe Office on the High Street, Tickets Scotland in Rose Street and Ripping on South Bridge.