PRESS RELEASE
MONDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2014
WE ARE THE PARTY!
FULL PROGRAMME FOR EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY
ANNOUNCED TODAY
Organisers of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay today invited revellers to join the planet’s hottest party when they announced the glittering programme of events for this year. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will run from Tuesday 30 December to Thursday 1 January 2015, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.
The three day Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival, produced on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, will kick off with the hugely popular Torchlight Procession on Tuesday 30 December which is supported by EventScotland. A complete sell-out for the last few years, this event is expected to attract over 30,000 participants and 8,000 torchbearers in the procession which winds through the city centre from George IV Bridge to the finale which can be viewed from Calton Hill as well as Waterloo Place where there will be additional entertainment. This year access to Calton Hill will be exclusively available for torchbearers and their accompanying friends and family. In this centenary year of the start of World War I, a contribution from the sale of torches will be donated to Erskine.
The flagship Concert in the Gardens on Wednesday 31 December will turn West Princes Street Gardens into THE party with Björn Again, the world renowned Australian ABBA Show kicking off the evening, followed by Grammy award winning dance/R&B superstars Soul II Soul closing their worldwide 25th anniversary tour and headliner Lily Allen who, on the last date of her international tour, will ensure the audience is partying through the bells at midnight. Enclosure tickets have already sold out.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay presents the biggest ever Hot Dub Time Machine at the World Famous Street Party. The time-travelling dance party which usually sees in New Year in Sydney, returns to Edinburgh to celebrate New Year for the first time in the Home of Hogmanay. 75,000 revellers across the arena will travel back to 1954 and then Moonwalk, Mashed Potato and Macarena their way through the bells and into 2015 with a banging song from each year relayed from the Rewinder Stage on the Mound across screens the length of Princes Street. This is a full-on alternative interactive experience, the crowd enjoying a mass sing-and-dance along.
This year the Street Party welcomes a stellar Scottish line-up with a headline performance on the Waverley Stage from UK festival-favourites Twin Atlantic, joined by the winners of this year’s Mercury Prize, Edinburgh’s own alternative hip hop group Young Fathers, and Indie champions The Twilight Sad.
Audiences at the Scottish Stage will enjoy performances from Scotland’s chanteuse extraordinaire singer-songwriter Eddi Reader with special guests Radio 2 Folk Award nominated Breabach and the band led by Scottish piping phenomenon Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson. At the Keilidh on the Mound revellers will be birling through the bells to The Smashers (featuring members of Rura), Hugh MacDiarmid’s Haircut and The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience.
Revellers will enjoy countdown firework displays at 9.00pm, 10.00pm and 11.00pm rising to the crescendo of the spectacular Midnight Moment as the fireworks lift from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill. Followed by the world’s largest rendition of Auld Lang Syne as old friends and new join hands across the arena to sing Burn’s anthem.
All stages are live from 9.00pm to 1.00am but the party starts from 7.00pm throughout the Street Party arena with bars, rides and attractions.
Free NightBus services will run throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians for revellers at the Street Party and throughout the City Centre, supported by Lothian Buses and Johnnie Walker. These safe rides home are part of the Join the Pact global responsible drinking initiative from Johnnie Walker which has secured over one million personal commitments from people across the world to never to drink and drive.
Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festivals and Events Champion at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh will be the greatest place on earth to say goodbye to 2014 and bring in the bells for Hogmanay. From the Street Party to the Keilidh, the Concert in the Gardens to the Loony Dook, this is going to be a jam-packed three day festival of fun.
“Every year, people travel from all over the world to experience Edinburgh’s midnight moment, and this year all eyes will yet again be on the Capital as locals and visitors come together to celebrate. With performances from Lily Allen and Mercury prize-winners Young Fathers, it’s also one of the best outdoor concerts in Britain. Local residents planning to celebrate New Year on their doorstep can snap up an early bird discount on tickets, but be quick – the discount will only apply until 28 November.”
Pete Irvine, Director of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said ““The Street Party boasts the world’s biggest open air dance floor and this year we really are going to party, including at The Concert – we should say Party – in the Gardens. On the other stages we’ve got the perfect Scottish line-up and this reverberates the next day at SCOT.LANDS where 100 artists across 11 venues will be part of what is probably Scotland’s biggest free festival. And it’s still only the first day of the year.”
On New Year’s Day, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay presents Scot:Lands – incredible new worlds hidden in 11 beautiful buildings and outdoor spaces in the city’s Old Town, where audiences can discover the very best in music, art and theatre, created and curated by Scotland’s most innovative artists, arts organisations and musicians: a festival in itself – all free. Scot:Lands is supported by the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.
Building on the enormous popularity of this event last year, audiences are invited to pre-register free of charge at edinburghshogmanay.com to be allocated a time slot to come to Home:Land at the National Museum of Scotland. There they will begin their randomly selected and magical journey around these familiar and unknown, indoor and outdoor, atmospheric venues. Their first boarding card could direct them to Heart:Land presented by musician Roddy Hart and his friends from Withered Hand, Lonesome Fire and Admiral Fallow; or to HebCelt:Land recreating one of the most atmospheric festivals on the planet with the help of Rura, Iain Morrison and Malin; or even the Island of Mull with 3 on this IS:Land featuring Kenny Anderson, The Hannah Fisher Trio and Des Lawson. Neu:Land offers an exhilarating cabaret of life from Neu Reekie, Edinburgh’s most exciting arts collective while Blether:Land and the Scottish Storytelling Festival present a programme inspired by Sir Walter Scott and the poet Robert Fergusson, and a series of interactive street games, inspired by school playgrounds of the past, can be found at High School:Land.
As well as music and spoken word, audiences will come upon a film by Virginia Heath at From Scot:Land shown in a closed-off Old Town street, and a unique screening at Tide:Land in a hidden location which will be accompanied by Joe McAlinden’s haunting and beautiful score. Barn:Land brings Deeside to Edinburgh in the shape of Woodend Barn and in a new commission from Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, choreographer Steinvor Palsson has created an elegiac and enthralling dance sequence in Wholly:Land, one of the city’s most renowned landmark buildings.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival is a perfect example of how we can promote all that is best about Scotland. Part of Scotland’s Winter Festivals, the capital’s wonderful celebrations are screened across the globe and its iconic images demonstrate the year-round cultural vitality of Edinburgh, both as tourist destination and as the world’s leading festival city.
“As we approach the close of what has been an eventful and historic year for Scotland, the 2014 Hogmanay Festival will be no exception, and once again we proudly encourage Scots and Scots at heart from around the world to join us to see out this incredible year in style.
“I am delighted that a Scottish Government Expo funding award of £200,000 is enabling Edinburgh’s Hogmanay to bring Scottish artists to their huge international audience, through the innovative SCOT:LANDS project. This adds another exciting dimension to this quintessentially Scottish experience, and will ensure that 2015 starts with a real bang.”
Also on New Year’s Day revellers can work off the excess of the night afore with a dip in the River Forth in the annual Queensferry Loony Dook. Starting with a Dookers Parade through South Queensferry featuring pipers and a host of entertainment the brave, or daft, Dookers will take the chilly plunge for charity under the world renowned Forth Bridge. For those not brave enough to get their feet wet, there are plenty of vantage points to watch the action and spectators are welcomed.
The award winning #Blogmanay was conceived in 2012 as a means of using travel bloggers and a high-impact social media campaign to showcase the unique experience of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, whilst using the festival as a gateway to explore and discover the delights of visiting Scotland, the ‘Home of Hogmanay’ in winter. This year #Blogmanay is back again, encouraging locals, visitors and attractions across the city from 23 November to 5 January to create a huge bank of live digital content – blogs, reviews, videos, photographs and tweets, highlighting Edinburgh & Scotland as a premier winter destination. This year guest bloggers will be joining #Blogmanay from across Europe, North America, China and Australia and will participate in the award-winning campaign which since 2013 has generated over 150 million twitter impressions.
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland, said: “Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will round off what has been a huge year for events in Scotland, and it is fitting that one of our most iconic and globally recognised properties will close the year of Homecoming; which saw over 1000 events take place across the country celebrating our culture and creativity. We are delighted to once again be supporting the Torchlight Procession on the 30th and Loony Dook on January 1st this year, which extend the party on the 31st over three days and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. Our support also includes specific elements of international marketing and the Blogmanay project, further increasing the reach of Hogmanay, which already hits over 200 countries. Scotland is the perfect stage for events, and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay embodies everything that makes our country and event hosting credentials so special. Tickets for all events at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay are on sale – full details can be found at www.edinburghshogmanay.com. The early bird ticket offer for Edinburgh Residents will close on Friday 28 November. Until then, anyone living in an EH postcode can buy their Street Party ticket for the reduced price of £16 plus booking fee.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and Edinburgh’s Christmas are produced by Unique Events and Underbelly on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council.
For further information, please contact:
Frances Sutton, Press Manager, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay
07841 579481 or [email protected]
Editor’s Notes:
Free Edinburgh’s Hogmanay NightBus Transport: Free bus transport home throughout the city will be available for revellers at the Street Party, supported by Johnnie Walker and Lothian Transport. These safe rides home are part of the Join the Pact global responsible drinking initiative from Johnnie Walker which has secured over one million personal commitments from people across the world to never to drink and drive. To sign up to pledge never to drink and drive, visit: www.jointhepact.com or by tweeting #ImNOTdrivingHogmanay to @JohnnieWalker_.
Hot Dub Time Machine: Dubbed ‘the world's first time-travelling dance party’, the brainchild of Australian DJ Tom Loud, this experiential audio visual event is back and it’s bigger than ever. These dates follow sell-out runs and 5 star reviews from all over the world, everywhere from Adelaide to Edinburgh. Travel back to 1954 and from there you will Moonwalk, Mashed Potato and Macarena through time, as DJ Tom Loud leads a journey through to 2014 with a song from each year. From the Beatles to Beyoncé, it’s every song you love, have forgotten about and will love again, mixed and presented in a fresh and completely original way. Presented in strict chronological order, each song is accompanied by visuals on massive screens which are mixed and mashed-up live on actual turntables. It’s a truly alternative interactive experience, with the crowd encouraged to sing-along, dance and go crazy to keep the time machine going. From massive outdoor rock festivals, to nightclubs, circus tents, and concert halls, Hot Dub Time Machine is an event for everyone: ravers, rockers, old, young, cool or un-cool. Sold-out shows around the world agree: this is the Best Party Ever! Dates at Edinburgh’s Christmas this December have only limited tickets left.
Erskine: A charity founded in 1916 to care for servicemen injured on the front lines, Erskine remains dedicated to supporting veterans in Scotland. Providing a very special blend of compassion and understanding within our five homes, they not only care for our veterans - they care about them, with person-centred care tailored to the needs of the veterans or their spouse.
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 - Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental, Haggis Adventures
Media Partners – Edinburgh Evening News, Forth 1, The List.
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
Tickets for all Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events are on-sale from www.edinburghshogmanay.com or by calling Tel. 0844 573 8455
Concert in the Gardens with Lily Allen:
Enclosure Tickets - £42.50 + booking fee SOLD OUT
Gardens Tickets - £37.50 + booking fee n.b Tickets to Concert in the Gardens is within 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 Street Party tickets available to EH Postcode Homes. A maximum of 8 EH Postcode Street Party tickets can be purchased in any one transaction. Offer closes Friday 28 November 2014.
The Keilidh on The Mound: £40.00 + booking fee n.b Tickets to The Keilidh is within 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: £16.50 + 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
Queensferry Loony Dook: £8.00 + booking fee Event Registration Fee (includes donation to RNLI) n.b Participants MUST register for the Loony Dook prior to the event. There will be no registration on the day and availability will be on a first come first served basis.
This Edinburgh’s Hogmanay event was a total sell-out 2013 and 2014
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
About Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party: Described as the original and best New Year’s Party, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party annually attracts tens of thousands of residents and visitors from around the globe. Taking place on 31 December along Princes Street in the centre of Scotland’s capital, party-goers come together to sing, dance, hug, kiss and celebrate the New Year. Featuring live stages and synchronized screens, the Midnight Fireworks display, singing and dancing all set against the magnificent backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party really is the place to be to see in the New Year in true Scots style. This year features live music stages, DJ stage, giant screens and a spectacular midnight moment. For tickets and more information: www.edinburghshogmanay.com
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 22 years, since its inception in 1993.
Underbelly Limited: Underbelly is a UK based, live entertainment company. Their events and festivals division operates one of the largest operations at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe selling over 250,000 tickets in 2013. 2014 marks the sixth year of Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre and the third year of London Wonderground at Southbank Centre. Elsewhere Underbelly also produces Edinburgh’s Christmas; Comedy Hullabaloo with the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon; West End Live in Trafalgar Square for Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre; and Pride in London. Through their Underbelly Productions arm they produce and promote live shows in London, throughout the UK and on tour internationally. In 2013 Underbelly sold over 750,000 tickets to their various events. www.underbelly.co.uk
Year 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 will run from 31 December 2013 to 31 December 2014 throughout the length and breadth of the country. With over 1,000 events included in the programme and over 1 million event attendances to date, visitors and locals are being invited to join in a celebration of the nation’s food and drink, active pursuits, cultural heritage, nature and ancestral heritage until the end of the year. 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
Scotland’s Winter Festivals:
Scots and Scots at heart, both at home and abroad come together to celebrate Scotland’s unique heritage and distinctive culture through Scotland’s Winter Festivals - St Andrew’s Day, Christmas, Hogmanay and Burns celebrations.
Scotland is very much open for business in the winter months and there’s a lot happening to celebrate St Andrew’s Day, Christmas, Hogmanay and Burns Night.
Anyone can join in the celebration in the winter events and celebrations across the country. Find out what’s happening near you at www.scotland.org/winter
A vibrant winter event programme brings together people from all over the world to celebrate Scotland’s modern culture and traditions through the best of Scottish music, arts, food and drink, innovation and entertainment. Scotland is a year round destination for visitors, welcoming over 15 million people to our shores. St Andrew’s Day, Christmas, Hogmanay and Burns Night offer another reason to come and celebrate either with us here in Scotland or around the world.
Hogmanay:
Scotland is world-renowned as the home of Hogmanay, celebrated on 31 December. Fire festivals, torchlight processions, street parties, live music and fireworks, Scotland really is the best place in the world to see in the New Year.
Scotland boasts a wide variety of Hogmanay celebrations, from large scale events such as Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, which attracts over 130,000 visitors each year of which 65% are from outwith Scotland, and Stirling’s Hogmanay, to smaller, regional gatherings.
Scotland is renowned for its traditions associated with Hogmanay and homes, pubs, clubs and village halls across the country host their own celebrations embracing tradition – first footers bringing coal, toasting with a dram at midnight, wishing good luck to the home-owner for the year ahead.
There is a wealth of information about Scotland’s Hogmanay celebrations on www.scotland.org/hogmanay
EventScotland: EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews. EventScotland is part of VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland.