Highland Council cancels Red Hot Highland Fling 2024 Hogmanay event for Inverness
The massively popular Red Hot Highland Fling has been axed for 2024 and will not take place this Hogmanay, it has been announced.
Highland Council broke the news about the Inverness event this morning, citing limited access to the Northern Meeting Park and Bught Park as a key factor.
Both venues are currently subject to major revamps and improvements, and the council said that the “increased costings for infrastructure” that would be needed to work around that disruption had made the event too costly for 2024 - and it had to take the “very difficult decision” to axe it this year.
Earlier this year it emerged that the most recent Fling had eaten up £100,000 in public funding, but those specific costs were not cited as a reason for 2024’s cancellation, with works at the two parks and their knock-on impact instead being squarely blamed.
And disappointed revellers have been assured that plans are “already under way” for the event to return in 2025 using what the council is able to “reserve” by cancelling 2024’s.
READ MORE: Red Hot Highland Fling needs £100,000 subsidy to break even despite charging entry
Confirming the cancellation of 2024’s event, the Provost of Inverness and chair of the Events and Festivals Working Group, Cllr Glynis Sinclair said: "We have to ensure that all our community events can be delivered successfully and noting the unique circumstances posed by the re-development of Northern Meeting Park we have decided that we will reserve our resources for an exciting return of the much loved Red Hot Highland Fling in 2025 when we will have all the benefits of a redeveloped Northern Meeting Park."
But she added: "Planning is already underway for 2025 with exciting developments to the Inverness Events Programme which we look forward to sharing about the return of the Red Hot Highland Fling on the December 31, 2025."
Reacting to the news, Don Johnstone chief executive of Visit Inverness Loch Ness said: "The Red Hot Highland Fling has been central to the Hogmanay celebrations in Inverness for a number of years, and there will doubtless be disappointment at this news.
“Given the circumstances it was the most responsible decision for the group to take. By making this decision early, it will hopefully provide local hospitality businesses the opportunity to further enhance their own offerings, which play an important part in the new year celebrations for both locals and visitors."
