PRESS RELEASE STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 12NOON FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2014 www.edinburghshogmanay.com
LILY ALLEN TO HEADLINE EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY 2014/15 CONCERT IN THE GARDENS
TICKETS FOR ALL EVENTS ONSALE FRIDAY 22 AUGUST
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay are today delighted to announce that pop superstar Lily Allen, will headline the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2014/15 ‘Concert in the Gardens’. Organisers Unique Events on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council announce that this special headline show will end a spectacular year for Lily Allen and will be the final show of her 2014 world tour. After a self-imposed ‘retirement’ from the music industry, 2014 has been a triumphant return to the top, producing her second No.1 album ‘Sheezus’, plus a summer of exhilarating performances and headline appearances at the UK’s biggest music festivals (including Glastonbury, Latitude and V Festivals), collecting the NME Award for ‘Best British Solo Artist’ and positioning herself as one of the UK’s most successful female artists.
Her 2006 debut album ‘Alright, Still’ sold over 2.6 million copies worldwide, produced No1 singles and pop classics ‘Smile’ and ‘LDN’, projecting Lily Allen to international pop superstardom, critical acclaim and a raft of industry awards including nominations at the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
On her headline appearance at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Lily Allen has said: ‘I’ve always wanted to spend Hogmanay in Scotland so the fact that I get to do it this year but performing onstage in front of a whole load of people up for the best time makes it extra special. I can’t wait”
Lily Allen at the Concert in the Gardens includes very special guests to be announced, set beneath the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and the spectacular Midnight Fireworks, broadcast around the world and showcasing Edinburgh’s Hogmanay as one of the biggest and best New Year parties on the planet!
Recently listed as the only event/festival in the ‘Discovery Channel - Top 25 World Travel Experiences’, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is recognised globally as one of the world’s best New Year celebrations and last year welcomed visitors from over 60 countries to celebrate at the ‘Home of Hogmanay’. Over three-days of spectacular free and ticketed events in 2013/14, audiences of over 130,000 joined the celebrations, with 5 of 6 main ticketed events sold-out before the 31st December. PRESS RELEASE STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 12NOON FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2014 www.edinburghshogmanay.com Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festivals and Events Champion for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has long been the envy of cities across the globe and the celebrations to bring in the start 2015 are set to be no exception. Headliner Lily Allen is sure to be a big hit with revellers, and coupled with an absolutely spectacular fireworks display, we are aiming to yet again bring together and entertain thousands of people as the capital brings in the bells.”
Pete Irvine, Artistic Director of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said: ‘We are delighted to announce Lily Allen to headline Edinburgh’s Hogmanay in this the final week of the world's largest arts festival Edinburgh‘s Festival Fringe. Lily has had a great year headlining summer festivals, playing all over the world and now we welcome her to the Home of Hogmanay. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is THE New Year party, Lily is THE party girl.”
Revellers can purchase tickets for Concert in the Gardens and all other Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events including Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, The Keilidh at the Street Party, Torchlight Procession and Concert in St Giles’ Cathedral from 10am Friday 22 August at www.edinburghshogmanay.com, by calling Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Box Office on 0844 573 8455 or by calling into the Hogmanay Box Office at The Fringe Office, 180 High Street, Edinburgh.
Sign-up for pre-sale ticket information at www.edinburghshogmanay.com
Social Media – Twitter- #blogmanay @edhogmanay / facebook.com/edinburghshogmanay Lily Allen: Twitter - #lilyallen @lilyallen / Facebook - facebook.com/lilyallen -ends- For further information on Edinburgh’s Hogmanay please contact: Alan Thomson, Comms & Event Manager, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay UNIQUE EVENTS LTD T: 0044 131 561 3380 / [email protected] / [email protected] www.edinburghshogmanay.com
PRESS RELEASE STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 12NOON FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2014 www.edinburghshogmanay.com Notes to Editors: 1. About our funders and sponsors:
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2014/15 is funded by: Principal Funding Partner - City of Edinburgh Council Major Funding Partners - EventScotland, Scotland’s Winter Festivals and the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals EXPO Fund Major Partners - G4S and Diageo Official Event Partners - Haggis Adventures, Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Official Partners – VisitScotland, Edinburgh Festivals, Marketing Edinburgh, Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG)
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay & Edinburgh’s Christmas are produced by Unique Events ltd & Underbelly on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council
2. Tickets for all Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events are on-sale Friday 22 August, 10am from www.edinburghshogmanay.com or by calling Tel. 0844 573 8455
Concert in the Gardens with Lily Allen: Enclosure Tickets - £42.50 + booking fee Gardens Tickets - £37.50 + booking fee n.b Tickets to Concert in the Gardens also grant access to the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party: £20.00 administration + booking fee n.b. Entry to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party on 31 December is strictly by ticket only. There are no restrictions on the quantity of tickets which can be purchased, but a maximum of 10 Street Party tickets can be purchased in any one online transaction. Please contact the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay BoxOffice for group bookings of 10 or more. Travel Trade & Accommodation Providers can reserve tickets by emailing: [email protected]
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party – EH Postcode Ticket: £16.00 administration + booking fee Limited offer of 5000 Street Party tickets available to EH Postcode Homes. A maximum of 8 EH Postcode Street Party tickets can be purchased in any one transaction.
The Keilidh: £37.00 + booking fee n.b Tickets to The Keilidh grants access to the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Subject to booking fee. This Edinburgh’s Hogmanay event is a total sell-out each year
Torchlight Procession: Vouchers for torches available for purchase in advance for £10 each. This Edinburgh’s Hogmanay event is a total sell-out each year
Candlelit Concert in St Giles’ Cathedral: £16.00 + booking fee n.b This event is not suitable for babies or young children. This Edinburgh’s Hogmanay event is a total sell-out each year
3. About Concert in the Gardens The Concert in the Gardens is hosted in West Princes Street Gardens beneath the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Taking place on 31 December, the Concert will continue past ‘the bells’ until 1.00am on 1 January 2015. Concert in the Gardens has played host to many internationally acclaimed acts over the years including Pet Shop Boys, Primal Scream, Biffy Clyro, Simple Minds, Madness, Groove Armada, Kasabian (special guest Noel Gallagher), Scissor Sisters, KT Tunstall, Blondie and Calvin Harris, At midnight, crowds at the main stage and throughout the arena will be treated to a spectacular fireworks display against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, heralding the arrival of 2015. For tickets and more information: www.edinburghshogmanay.com PRESS RELEASE STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 12NOON FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2014 www.edinburghshogmanay.com
4. About Lily Allen Lily Allen’s first mainstream single, "Smile", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2006. Her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received, selling over 2.6 million copies worldwide and brought Allen a nomination at the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. She began hosting her own talk-show, Lily Allen and Friends, on BBC Three. Her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You, saw a genre shift, having more of an electropop feel, rather than the ska and reggae influences of the first one. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts and was well received by critics, noting the singer's musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the hit single "The Fear", popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse have been credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that saw five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness" nominated for the Mercury Prize. In 2009, Allen announced that she would be taking a hiatus from musical activities. During 2010, Allen opened a fashion rental shop "Lucy in Disguise" with her sister Sarah, followed by the 2011 launching of her own record label. In 2013, Allen revealed that she had begun working on her third studio album, which was later titled Sheezus. On 12 November 2013, Allen premiered the video for her first original song since 2009, "Hard out Here", which was released as a single five days later.
5. Event Producers: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay & Edinburgh’s Christmas are produced by Unique Events ltd & Underbelly on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council
In 2013, Unique Events and Underbelly were confirmed as the collaborative producers of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and Edinburgh’s Christmas event programmes on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council for the next three years. The partnership has created the largest winter festival season that Edinburgh has ever seen. At its heart will lies the world famous Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations and the re-imagined programme of Edinburgh’s Christmas events and attractions.
Unique Events Limited: Unique Events is Scotland’s leading independent event company specialising in creating festivals and producing large scale public events. Unique Events has created and produced Edinburgh’s Hogmanay on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council for over 21 years, since its inception in 1993.
Underbelly Limited: Founded in 2000, Underbelly is one of the UK’s most successful and exciting festivals and events companies. Every year, thousands of people enjoy theatre, comedy and music at Underbelly’s festivals in London and Edinburgh, and on tour in the UK. While Underbelly is most famously associated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it also produces the Udderbelly Festival and London Wonderground – annual highlights of London’s Southbank.
6. Year of Homecoming Scotland 2014 Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a signature event of Homecoming Scotland 2014. Scotland has welcomed the world in the Year of Homecoming 2014 providing a year-long programme of events alongside the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games. The Year of Homecoming Scotland runs from 31 December 2013 to 31 December 2014 throughout the length and breadth of the country. Visitors from around the world are invited to join in a celebration of the nation’s food and drink, active pursuits, cultural heritage, nature and ancestral heritage. Homecoming Scotland 2014 is a Scottish Government initiative being led by EventScotland and VisitScotland, supported by numerous partners. To find out more visit www.homecomingscotland.com