Edinburgh Hogmanay party capacity halved following contract fiasco

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party will have half the capacity in its first year with new organisers after the previous firm pulled out.

It comes after the founders of the capital’s official Hogmanay celebrations, Unique Events, won back the right to run the event from rival firm Underbelly.

As part of a joint partnership with Assembly Festival, called Unique Assembly, the local event producers will deliver the street party going into 2023.

It comes after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the market’s future when the original organisers, Angels Event Experience (AEE), announced they would be pulling out.

Unique, which last worked on the festival in 2016 before losing the contract to Underbelly, revealed there would be 30,000 tickets going up for sale, with a further 10,000 tickets sold for the Concert in the Gardens in Princes Street Gardens.

Organisers said the event would be smaller due to it being the first Hogmanay since Covid restrictions, with 60,000 allowed into the street party in previous years.

The whole of Princes Street will be closed with most of the facilities operating in the West End area of the street.

The relaunch of the celebrations will also see a £2 ticket price rise, with tickets starting at £27.50.

Revellers have been told they will see an “unforgettable firework and light show” and will also be given new high-tech wristbands that will allow them to create patterns in time with music provided by DJs.

Penny Dougherty of Unique Events and William Burdett-Coutts of Assembly Festival, said: “We can’t wait to welcome people back to celebrate in Edinburgh at the home of Hogmanay.”

Val Walker, City of Edinburgh Council’s culture and communities convener said: “Edinburgh is truly the home of Hogmanay and we’re very much looking forward to the return of the world-renowned street party.

“Revellers can expect an unforgettable firework and light show, and a new level of involvement with the addition of the personal LED wristbands. I can’t wait to see it.

“Edinburgh’s Hogmanay remains the place to be to bring in the bells and this year will be no exception.”