Fun at Hogmanay Celebrations in Aberdeen

21 December 2015

A spectacular firework display set to music and a live-on-stage battle of the bands competition will help revellers ring in the bells at Aberdeen's Hogmanay Celebrations.

The free events, which were announced today, include live music on stage which will be set up on Schoolhill facing Belmont Street, from 7.30pm until midnight. On the stage, there will be five groups battling it out in the Northsound One to Watch competition aimed at finding the best new talent in the north-east.

Hosted by Mucky, Suzie and Pete from the Northsound 1 Breakfast Show, the judges will include Aberdeen Lord Provost George Adam. The finalists are Amber Hughes, SilverBySkyline, Soul Love, Estrella, and The Capollos.

The footage on stage can be viewed from four giant screens which will be set up at Schoolhill, The Academy courtyard, Back Wynd/Gaelic Lane, and in the Christmas Village.

There will then be a 10-minute firework display – believed to be the longest official Hogmanay fireworks display in Scotland - from the rooftops of His Majesty's Theatre. The fireworks display will also be set to music for the first time.

The fireworks have been designed by Inverurie-based firm Fireworx Scotland to be visible from all over the city, not just to the revellers below.

Aberdeen City Council Deputy Leader Councillor Marie Boulton said: "It will be a fantastic event with the longest Hogmanay fireworks show in Scotland set to music, along with the live bands on stage.

"Both events promise to be colourful and upbeat and we look forward to welcoming thousands of people from the city and the wider area along with folk from farther afield to Aberdeen for one of the biggest events on the Scottish social calendar.

"The Hogmanay Celebrations is one of the last events which have been put on as part of the biggest-ever Winter Festival that Aberdeen has had, and I'm sure people will have as much fun on 31 December in the city centre as they have had at the other 10 events."

There will be glass bins and exchange sites set up at several locations including Schoolhill, Belmont Street, Back Wynd, and Belmont Street/Union Street junction, as glass drinks containers are not allowed in the streets surrounding the stage area.

Road closures and restrictions will affect Skene Street, Blackfriars Street, Crooked Lane, Harriet Street, Schoolhill, Denburn Road, Belmont Street, Back Wynd, Gaelic Lane, Union Street, Bridge Street, and Crown Street.

Revellers should be aware First Aberdeen is providing a late night bus service, and Stagecoach services stop at 10pm on 31 December. Taxi ranks will be available but the night time taxi rank situated on the north side of Union Street east of St Nicholas Kirkyard will not be in operation until Union Street is open at around 12.45am.

All City Council car parks within the City Centre will be open and available for use. All existing disabled parking areas (except those that are within any road closure) within the city centre are available for use. Disabled drop of points will be at Schoolhill/Flourmill Lane.

More information on the Hogmanay celebrations including full road closures is available from the Christmas Village & Winter Festival website