The Street
Party - an exuberant carnival of music, dancing and street theatre - is the most
famous aspect of Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival.
The street party, which gets going when the stages and screens go live at 10pm,
has been scaled back in recent years from 180,000/200,000 of the millennium party
to around 100,000 and takes place within a smaller cordoned-off area (see
maps). This is accessible by free street party ticket (see
box office).
In previous years we've seen strange ghost-like white men on stilts inflating
into huge balloons, a man who rolls around on a large concrete ball until his
helper picks him up with a trolley and moves him on, black insect-like stilt-walkers
and characters in macks with telescopic necks.
The centrepiece, of course, is Edinburgh castle, perched high on its volcanic
rock. Underneath the castle is the Concert in the Gardens - headlining
this year are Scissor Sisters and Blondie.
The Seven Hills Fireworks display sees a huge pyrotechnic spectacle erupting
from the castle battlements at the stroke of midnight, which means that this part
of Princes Street (intersection with Castle Street) is where the street party
crowd is always at its most dense.
The
Stages
The street party takes place the length of Princes St, The Mound and Waverly Bridge
(outside the train station). There are six stages , three more than last year, with music up to and beyond
the bells this year:
The Concert in the Gardens (Ross Bandstand)
Scissor Sisters
Blondie
'special guests' Aberfeldy
If you want more breathing space you can buy tickets in advance to the Concert in Princes Street Gardens (the large park at at the foot of the Castle Rock). You probably don't want to stay here all the time as you'll miss some of the festivities happening on the streets, but compared to outside of the gardens it is a relative oasis.
Celtic Ceilidh Stage, Waverley Stage, outside the station
on Waverely
Ceol Duanach- Rhymic music and full on dance groove.
Sesion A9 - Scotland's superstars in a rare live performance
after midnight - Sandy Brechin Band
The Pyramid DJ Stage
The Tartan Dhollies - Modern Asian rhythms all the way from sunny Leith
The Great Calverto - Edinburgh's cheese-tastic pop DJ
after Midnight - Soul Kings 'big disco & big hair'
The Street Party Stage
La Sonera Calavera - Jalapeno hot salsa sounds
Jazz Jamaica - reggae and ska - nice.
after midnight Mylo - electro-punk dance by Scotland's Myles.
The Pipes and Drums Stage
International award-winning music from Scotland's finest pipe bands
- Lothain & Borders Police Pipe Band
- Boghall and Bathgate
Urban Dance on the Mound
Expect much head spinning, back flipping and dangerous moves with:-
Random Aspekts - Scotland's premier breakdance team with Reed Richards DJ supplying the tunes
Dashing Roses - French dance
after Midnight - Phase T - France's finest hip-hop
and breakdancing troop.
Other
things to bear in mind
Sticking together: You should have
a plan for finding those you go with if you get lost (check
map). Also, later on, it is almost impossible to move down Princes Street,
it's so packed with people trying to get a good spot to see the midnight fireworks.
Carry Plastic: bottles that is. Carry your booze in a plastic bottle.
(note for foreign visitors - drinking in the street is allowed).
Stay
warm: Sub-zero temperaturs and blizzard conditions have been known. Dress
warmly (wear a hog hat!), find
someone to keep you warm, take a hot drink, eat beforehand, don't drink excessive
amounts of alcohol and watch out for your friends. Check the weather and have
fun!
Street
Party 2004/05
