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Edinburgh's Big Bang

The Scottish Capital Hosts the World’s
Most Spectacular New Year Festival

By Louise Farquhar

Hogmanay may not be a familiar term to everyone but for those of Scottish blood it is the time-honoured excuse used by the entire population to indulge in decadent and riotous parties on the 31^st of December every year. The Scots, who are never slow to exploit any reason to have a party, use the occasion to drink vast quantities of alcohol, kiss strangers and watch fireworks – not necessarily in that order. Although shindigs take place throughout the land the most spectacular venue to welcome in the New Year is Edinburgh.

Already wildly famous for its international arts festival in August Edinburgh has also cultivated a New Year affair over the last nine years with magnificent results. Visitors from around the globe are flocking to the city to share in the Hogmanay revelry and the 2002/2003 10^th anniversary programme is showing no signs of disappointing them. The line-up runs from the 29^th of December 2002 until the 1^st of January 2003 and includes processions, music, dancing, carnivals, street parties and sporting events.

Perhaps the most exciting event is The Royal Bank of Scotland Street Party, which takes place on the 31^st of December– Hogmanay. Over 100,000 people gather in Princes Street, East and West Princes Street Gardens, The Mound and Waverly Bridge, which are the arterial routes through the Georgian part of the City. The dramatic castle, perched high on its volcanic rock, acts as the centrepiece for this exuberant carnival of music, dancing and street theatre. 200,000 partygoers used to pack into Princes Street when the festival first started but this number was scaled down to half by the authorities as safety was a major concern. Admission is free but tickets are required to get into the party area where characters in raincoats with telescopic necks mingle with the crowd and ghost-like men on stilts inflate huge balloons. There is also the Concert in the Garden, which showcases international bands and music artists and people attending this are guaranteed access to the street party afterwards. For those who don’t get tickets to either event there is still plenty to enjoy as the sound from the pop bands fills the frosty air and spectacular fireworks spray light over the whole city.

If spending hours outside at night in the middle of winter, in a city whose latitude is the same as St.Petersburg, doesn’t appeal then one of the indoor events might suit you better. The Assembly rooms, which is home to many excellent shows in the summer festival, hosts The New Year Revels. This eclectic mix of music caters for all tastes and ages and is very popular. Tickets are required for this as for The Candlelit Concert in the Cathedral. Here choral and orchestral pieces are performed in the magnificent setting of St.Giles Cathedral.

The festivities are not confined to Hogmanay. On the 29^th December, to get you into the party spirit, there is a torchlight procession through the spooky Old Town culminating in a breathtaking finale on Calton Hill. The following night, on the 30^th December, if your hangover is bearable from the excesses of the previous night, then the Night Afore Fiesta offers the perfect dress rehearsal for the big New Year bash. Pipes and drums play for the world’s biggest ceilidh and this year there will be an attempt to break the world record for the longest Strip The Willow dance – already set at the Edinburgh Hogmanay Festival last year. Despite the unrestrained behaviour on New Year’s Eve the party continues on the 1^st January with huskies at Holyrood Palace – one of the Queens Scottish residences, a bicycle triathlon and more street theatre on The Royal Mile.

So if your idea of bringing in the New Year is a nip of sherry by the fire and then off to bed at 12.01am then perhaps it’s time to let your hair down, shake away those cobwebs and get yourself over to Edinburgh. Hogmanay is an age-old tradition where the party-mad Scots come together to celebrate and enjoy this truly unique occasion. Come and join in.

For further information on Edinburgh’s Hogmanay visit the official website at http://edinburghshogmanay.org/

Images 1 to 5 courtesy of City of Edinburgh Council.
Image 6 courtesy of Lothian and Borders Police.

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