Doubts over future of Inverness's annual Halloween event and possible fee for Hogmanay event
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There are question marks over whether Inverness's annual Halloween event will be staged this year.
The popular gathering has been held at Inverness Botanic Gardens for the past two years – under the name Bootanics. Prior to the pandemic it was held at the Ness Islands.
Tickets for the free Bootanics sessions were much sought-after, with Inverness councillors acknowledging it was among events which had proved to be successful and "brought economic benefit to the city, as well as pleasure for local residents, which was particularly relevant as part of Covid recovery".
But it has emerged that Highland Council's events and festivals working group is looking at delivering a programme that does not include Bootanics.
Instead it was focused on last month's Inverness Highland Games, the civic bonfire in November and the Red Hot Highland Fling (RHHF) on Hogmanay.
A report to councillors stated: "The working group agreed to take forward for further consideration option 2, which included the Highland Games, the bonfire, and the RHHF, but did not include the Bootanics."
It also agreed to allow the council's city area manager David Haas, in consultation with Inverness Provost Glynis Campbell-Sinclair, to source potential acts for the Hogmanay event, then put together a package to attract sponsors.
The report added: "Depending on the success of this, a future decision would be taken on the need to charge a booking fee. Consideration would also be given to offering sponsors the chance to fund the Bootanics event."
Last winter's free Hogmanay event at the Northern Meeting Park – featuring Tweed, Manran and Torridon – saw all 5069 tickets booked in advance but councillors have questioned whether the £150,000 investment from the Inverness Common Good Fund was "fair" during the cost-of-living crisis after it was attended by just 2500-3000 people.
This equates to between £50 and £60 per person.
When asked specifically about Bootanics, a Highland Council spokesman said: “The Inverness community events programme has started successfully with the delivery of the Inverness Highland Games. Consideration will now be given to progressing the events programme and decisions will be made in the knowledge of the long-standing popularity of the events held in previous years and the available budget.”
After being invited to elaborate, the spokesman added: “The operational delivery arrangements for the city’s events and festivals programme funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund (ICGF) was reviewed as a result of the reduction in budget set aside, as agreed by the City of Inverness Area Committee (CIAC) on February 13, for events and festivals. This was due to the need for the ICGF to realign its priorities noting available income and the cost-of-living crisis.
“At CIAC, it includes reference to ‘community events’ and reference to the events and festivals working group having the authority to allocate the budget once agreed.
“The budget was reduced from £303,000 in 2022/23 to £177,000 for 2023/24. The delivery of events would be dependent on the ability of the events and festivals working group to commission each event independently. To date, only the Highland Games was agreed to proceed.
“Following the Highland Games, the events and festival group will assess and consider the remaining budget, to consider and agree the type and number of events to be commissioned in the Inverness events and festivals programme.
“Any decisions on Inverness events and festivals is a matter for members of the events and festivals working group and the City of Inverness and Area Committee to consider and as the council is still in recess, we are unable to comment further as the remaining Inverness events and festivals programme has yet to be discussed and decided upon.”
More may emerge ahead of the council's next city committee meeting on August 28.
