Edinburgh Hogmanay street party and fireworks cancelled due to bad weather

Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party and fireworks display have been called off due to bad weather conditions. The decision was made by event organisers UniqueAssembly following Met Office yellow weather warnings across most of Scotland for Monday and Tuesday, with an amber warning in place for northern Scotland.

Organisers offered apologies to those who had travelled from overseas for the festivities, including the outdoor concert featuring Scottish band Texas, as it was deemed unsafe to proceed with event preparations under such severe weather. However, indoor events are set to continue, including a sold-out concert by Idlewild and a fully booked service at St Giles Cathedral on New Year’s Eve.

Police Scotland has backed the decision, citing "public safety" as the primary concern, especially after the city's torchlit procession was previously cancelled due to high winds and safety worries on Sunday. A spokesperson for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay said: "Due to ongoing high winds and inclement weather in Edinburgh city centre, we regret to announce that outdoor events scheduled for Monday and December 31 are unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety.

"The cancellation includes tonight’s Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens and, on December 31, the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, Concert in the Gardens, and the midnight fireworks from Edinburgh Castle."

"We have been unable to continue with preparations and necessary set-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay outdoor events due to extreme weather and forecast conditions. Therefore, for safety reasons we, along with our event partners, have taken the difficult decision to cancel all outdoor events."

They added: "We know that this will be hugely disappointing to all hoping to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh and that people travel from around the world to be here. Customer service from point of purchase will be in touch with ticket-holders directly with further instructions regarding refunds in due course."

Texas, who were set to perform at the event, said on Instagram: "Unfortunately, tomorrow’s gig has been cancelled due to the weather.

"We hope everyone stays safe and has a great New Year when it comes."

City of Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher said: "I know that, like me, many people will be very disappointed. This decision was not taken lightly, however, with the ongoing adverse weather condition, public safety must be our number one priority.

"There are lots of exciting indoor events taking place. For those coming along to them – I know you’re in for a treat and will have a great time. Please make sure you stay up-to-date with the weather and transport on social media."

Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Police Scotland Gold Commander for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said: "Cancelling such an event is a difficult decision for the organisers, but public safety takes priority, so we fully support this decision."

First Minister John Swinney was set to attend a meeting of SGORR on Monday evening, which will be chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance. Ms Constance said: "There is expected to be a significant amount of rainfall in the next 24 hours after a period of wet weather, raising the risks of travel disruption and flooding.

"New year travellers are advised to plan ahead during this normally busy period and follow Police Scotland and Traffic Scotland advice on the roads."

The announcement comes amidst ongoing disruptions to ferries and trains, with snow, rain, and wind warnings in place that are anticipated to cause further travel issues on New Year’s Eve.

The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings covering almost every part of the UK from Monday to Wednesday. Scotland is currently facing "fairly persistent rain" and snow, expecting 50-70mm of rainfall widely and up to 100-140mm in some areas, while other regions could see up to 20cm of snow, with a warning effective until midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Ferry services have been disrupted across Scotland on Monday, and rail lines, including the Highland Main Line at Kingussie, have been impacted.

Parts of Scotland are on alert as meteorologists issued an amber warning, effective from midnight to 5pm on New Year's Eve, forecasting heavy rain with potential flooding and travel disruptions. A yellow warning for "persistent snow" is set to cause road disruptions in Orkney and Shetland, standing from 5am until midnight on Tuesday.

Met Office spokesperson Oli Claydon said: "There will be pretty severe weather from that rain over the next 48 hours."

Cordelia Menmuir, Scottish Environment Protection Agency duty flood manager, said: "Extremely high water levels are expected in Speyside, the Great Glen and Tayside, resulting in disruptions to transport and to communities.

"It is possible we could see similar levels to those experienced in early October 2023, when places like Aviemore and Perth were severely affected."

Transportation delays on New Year’s Eve are anticipated due to strong winds that may hit speeds up to 70mph in England and Northern Ireland, according to the forecaster’s warning. An alert for wind spans from 7am up till 11pm on Tuesday, stretching north of York in England to Glasgow and Edinburgh, while another warning covers a large part of Northern Ireland from 6am until 2pm.

Mr Claydon further explained that the impending weather conditions would present a mix of challenges across the UK, characterising the upcoming period as "a wet and windy spell for many up into the new year".