Initial reports confirm that Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has been a major success and the event has retained its prestigious, world-wide reputation as the ‘Home of Hogmanay’.
Organisers, Unique Events, who have produced Edinburgh’s Hogmanay for 24 years on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, confirmed the event was an early and total sell out with 75,000 revellers celebrating the New Year at the world famous Street Party, Concert in the Gardens and The Old Town Ceilidh, where party-goers from far and wide enjoyed top class music and entertainment.
Performing his only Festival show of 2016, Paolo Nutini delivered an exhilarating headline performance at Concert in the Gardens. Hog the Stage competition winners Lemonhaze opened the show, followed by Paisley art pop quartet The Vegan Leather. Special guests The Lightning Seeds treated the sold out crowd to a hit filled set from their back catalogue.
The world famous Street Party entertained party-goers with a stellar line-up across four stages. The Charlatans, Ayrshire trio Fatherson and Dundee popster Be Charlotte lit up the Waverley Stage, while on the Castle Stage, Celtic music stars Salsa Celtica, Manran and Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton welcomed in the New Year with a bang. Revellers throughout the Street Party danced to festival favourites Guilty Pleasures and vj’s Buttercup and Pixel while James Brown is Annie, Brass Gumbo and Blues n Trouble jazzed up the Mound.
The Old Town Ceilidh with Belhaven saw around 5,000 people enjoying the very best of Scottish dance tunes from Kilter and HotScotch on the main stage, and performances from young trad musicians Talisk, Top Floor Taivers and Fèis Rois on the second stage in Parliament Square.
Messages supporting Unicef, the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay official charity partner, were relayed on the giant screens throughout the evening from Cllr Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Festivals and Events Champion, actors Alan Cumming and Ewan MacGregor, Festival Headliner Paolo Nutini and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
A special laser and light show was added to the spectacular Midnight Moment fireworks from Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill and Princes Street Gardens which launched 2017 as the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh becoming the world’s leading Festival City. The display was supported by the supported by Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Festivals and Events Champion, City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This must have been one of the most magnificent midnight moments in Edinburgh’s Hogmanay history, providing a fitting start to this milestone year for Edinburgh and its festivals. The extraordinary fireworks display at one of the event’s most popular street parties ever was a fantastic way to ring in 2017 and the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh The Festival City. I would like to thank all the Council staff and our partners who have made this event such a great success, bringing in 75,000 revellers from all over the world to discover our great capital city for a celebration which remains the envy of the world.”
Al Thomson and Penny Dougherty, Directors of Unique Events who produce Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said:
“What a great night. Paolo Nutini rocked the Concert in the Gardens, and revellers across the Street Party enjoyed a superb line-up across the four stages – what a great way to start 2017, the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh becoming a world leading Festival city. “
Chief Superintendent Kenny MacDonald, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh has again welcomed the New Year with great flair. I would like to thank all our officers and stewards who have worked hard to deliver such a fantastic event.
“We have worked extensively over the last few months with the City of Edinburgh Council, Unique Events and other emergency services in order to plan the Street Party, Torchlight Procession and other festive events.
“I am very pleased to say that the event has passed with no major issues and that there have only been 2 arrests for minor disorder. These are preliminary figures that will be updated later today.”
Free Hogmanay NightBus Services ran throughout the capital once again, supported by Diageo and the City of Edinburgh Council and provided by Lothian Buses which helped around 20,000 people leave the centre of the city. For the first time, Edinburgh Trams ran free trams from midnight to 5.00am helping a further 4,000 partygoers get home safely.