EVERYBODY knows Scotland does New Year best. At the centre of our Hogmanay celebrations are the festivities in Edinburgh.
Thousands of people from around the globe converge on the capital’s streets to see in the bells every December 31, while millions more watch around the world.
This year’s event is shaping up to as popular as ever, but it’s also the busiest working night of the year for the hundreds of people who spend months organising the big party.
We speak to 10 people involved in Edinburgh’s Hogmanay – from the performers and fireworks’ director to the security boss and ticket manager – to discover how our world-famous New Year celebrations go off with a bang each year.
Penny Dougherty : Director of Unique Events
“My co-director Al Thomson and I lead the team that delivers the three days of festivities which make up Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festival.
“The Street Party is a spectacular event and a huge logistical challenge.
“My job on Hogmanay is to stay in touch with all the people who make the event happen – from Unique’s production, communications and site teams to other agencies including security and emergency services – to ensure everything is running smoothly and to help resolve any issues.
“It’s always great to see all the pieces of the puzzle coming together to create an unforgettable night for the tens of thousands of people that come to celebrate New Year in Edinburgh and help put our city firmly on the world stage as the Home of Hogmanay.”
Paul Shannan : Artist Liaison
“On the 31st, I spend the day in our Artist Liaison office, where the bands and their representatives will collect their accreditation and all the information they need.
“The Street Party’s an exciting and thrilling experience for first time and returning artists, and I’m on hand to oversee all ground transport, accommodation, and technical and production requirements.
“Once the street party has started I’ll join the rest of the production team overseeing Concert in the Gardens, Old Town Ceilidh, The Midnight Moment and all of our satellite stages.
“The atmosphere is unbeatable and it really showcases the beauty of our city on a world stage.”
Tim Burgess : Singer of The Charlatans, Waverley Stage headliners
“Where better to be for New Year than Scotland? I’ve asked if we can travel as early as possible to make the most of the day.
“We’ve played New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh before, so we’re hoping for the same crazy levels of excitement from the audience.
“I’ll spend the morning looking around the city and maybe do some record shopping. At 12.30pm I’ll be chatting about my new book, Tim Book Two, in Rainy Hall in the city centre.
“After that, there will be a soundcheck and then friends will arrive and we’ll get a chance to catch up with everyone.
“We’ll write the setlist about an hour before – and then it’s time to hit the stage.
“I quite like to DJ afterwards so I might check if there’s any parties going on.”
Toby Alloway : Production Director of Titanium Fireworks
“We’re responsible for the fireworks leading up to and during The Midnight Moment.
“I stand close to show control, located outside the Red Coat Café in Edinburgh Castle, from where I can see and control a team of 14 pyrotechnicians and liaise closely with a team of 10 members of Historic Environment Scotland and the Unique Events production manager to make sure the most intense display in the UK goes up and fills the sky with colour.
“When 11 months of planning erupts in six minutes at midnight and we hear the roar of the crowd on Princes Street, I smile.”
Sam Bryce : Regional Manager of G4S security
“Security plays a major part in our operation, but above all public safety is the number one priority for my team of more than 550 stewards and managers.
“On the night I work in the multi-agency control centre, along with the event organisers and commanders for the other agencies, including the council and emergency services.
“I have a team of managers on the ground to organise and arrange the staff and respond to issues and liaise with the various organisations.
“Having been part of this event since it started, I have seen many changes to both the streetscape and the people running the other bodies, but along with Unique Events, G4S has been a constant in the festival’s evolution.”
Lloyd Smith : Photographer
“For the past 17 years I’ve photographed Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, which has grown in scale and stature to become the leading event in the Scottish calendar, watched by audiences around the world. My brief is to capture the international atmosphere, scale and sheer enjoyment of the partygoers and artists.
“I photograph people at the Street Party, many of the bands at the Concert in the Gardens and, of course, the fireworks at midnight!
“I usually have a bird’s-eye view of the whole event, watching thousands of partygoers in the street.”
Nigel Kippax : Live Screens Technical Manager
“My primary role is to manage any live video being shown on the night, be that from the stage of the Concert in the Gardens or the Street Party, but I inevitably end up getting roped in to other areas of production too.
“Ahead of the event, there is a huge amount of planning between lots of suppliers and the artists involved to ensure everything runs smoothly on the night.
“There are crucial discussions required. For example, making sure bands finish their set at a precisely agreed time so we can cue the countdown to The Midnight Moment and the all-important fireworks music.
“There’s always a fantastic buzz walking through the city while it is full of revellers – I wouldn’t miss it!”
Leah Silverlock : Digital Manager
“My role during the event is to monitor, create and control content to be pushed out over Edinburgh’s Hogmanay digital channels.
“It’s basically my job to show the world how much fun we’re all having using videos, stunning photographs, snapchats and tweets.
“Most of my time will be focused on our social media platforms and we create a huge amount of content in a short space of time.
“We’ve even branched out this year to create content for Chinese social media channels, Weibo and WeChat.
“Not a bad way to ring in the New Year, right?”
Buttercup & Pixels (Bryony Day and Susanna Murphy) : Street Party Video Jockeys
“We begin creating short pieces of film using collage, animation, film and photography, months in advance and then mix it live, much the same as a DJ mixes music.
“We’ve been part of the Street Party for seven years now and we try to reflect the hope, magic and pure fun of it all.
“We play on the Frederick Street Party Stage, while our visuals are beamed across eight giant screens along Princes Street.
“Hogmanay remains our favourite night of the year.”
Cate Williams : Finance and Ticketing Manager
“At event time, I’m based in the box office, which is located in the Fringe Shop on the Royal Mile.
“I work with a brilliant, experienced box office team of more than 30 staff, who are on hand to help customers with any ticketing queries, as well as providing general advice about the events.
“The box office is always busy, so we encourage customers to collect their tickets as early as they can. Our ticketing system is quick to use, so the maximum queuing time is just 10 minutes on Hogmanay.
“Once the box office closes at 8pm, it’s time to check how many tickets we’ve sold – fingers crossed it’ll be another sold-out Street Party!”
Visit www.edinburghshogmanay.com for full details of all Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events.
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