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Drones will not replace Edinburgh Hogmanay fireworks

PA Media Fireworks can be seen in the sky behind the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle is lit up by the colourful fireworks and the Starflier fairground ride and Ferris Wheel are seen on the right.PA Media
Organisers apologised to tourists who had travelled internationally for the cancelled events

Organisers of Edinburgh's cancelled Hogmanay street party have ruled out replacing its fireworks display with drones next year.

The outdoor event fell victim to bad weather for a third time since 2003, leaving 45,000 revellers to make alternative plans to see in the new year.

Business leaders have called for a "plan B" for future years in a bid to mitigate disappointment when wintry weather hampers the event.

But organisers Unique Assembly said drones were not a viable alternative due to costs and city centre logistics.

Getty Images Drones depict an image of a whale and a butterfly against the night sky. They can be seen above seven burst of pink fireworks. A crowd of people are at the bottom of the picture, watching the display. Getty Images
A spectacular display of drones and fireworks marked the new year in Tianjin, China, this year

The street party cancellation had led to suggestions on social media that the fireworks could be replaced by a drone display.

Drones were used to form elaborate and colourful pictures such as moving dragons at new year events in China.

They were also used to celebrate the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, in a display over Buckingham Palace.

And during the Covid pandemic a drone display filmed over the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh was released to mark the beginning of 2021.

A drone display filmed in different parts of Scotland was released during the pandemic

But a spokeswoman for Unique Assembly, which organises the Hogmanay Festival on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, said its fireworks display was among the best in the world including Sydney, Rio, London, New York and Beijing.

She ruled out using drones at future events.

"In recent years Edinburgh's Hogmanay has introduced new lighting technologies and effects to enhance displays and reduce firework products," she said.

"The introduction of new technologies such as drones are reviewed annually, and while we continuously look at enhancing and developing content, drones are currently not something which are viable for the event due to cost and city centre logistics."

Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival is said to be worth about £50m to the economy and attracts visitors from around the world.

The event was cancelled because strong winds on 30 December hampered the building of outdoor stages and barriers for the street party.

Watch: 'We're so disappointed' - tourists react to cancelled Hogmanay

The cancellation led to concerns about the commercialisation of the event, with Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh among those upset when organisers asked people to avoid travelling to the city centre for the bells.

The disused fireworks from this year's cancelled six-and-a-half minute display are being stored and will be used at next year's event.

Organisers are claiming insurance to cover the cost of the cancellation.

They receive about £810,000 from City of Edinburgh Council and £225,000 from the Scottish government to fund the Hogmanay festival, which also includes indoor events such as concerts, club nights and a ceilidh.

Some of the money raised at Edinburgh's Christmas market is also used to fund the new year celebrations.

The Unique Assembly spokeswoman said the event was cancelled due to concerns about safety for staff working outdoors, and having fewer barriers would have made no difference to the decision.

"There are safety limitations to working and building infrastructure in adverse weather conditions that must be adhered to regardless of the amount of equipment required, including the legal and moral obligations for the safety and wellbeing of our staff and contractors working outdoors during hazardous conditions," she added.

The event was cancelled in 2003/4 and 2006/7 due to high winds.

It was also cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid pandemic restrictions.

Garry Clark, Federation of Small Businesses' development manager, said: "Many businesses were disappointed at the cancellation of the Hogmanay celebrations, which are a showpiece event for the city's visitor economy and are visible the world over.

"Climate change appears to be making our winter weather more unpredictable and it is sensible for the festival organisers to consider plan B options, should the worst happen."

Jane Meagher, City of Edinburgh Council leader, said: "As part of our annual debrief, we will conduct a thorough review of the factors that led to the cancellation.

"Discussions will take place on potential mitigations that could be explored or implemented for next year."