Inverness gets ready to welcome visitors to Red Hot Highland Fling on Hogmanay
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The Highland capital is set to welcome revellers to the city to bring in the bells and celebrate the transition to 2024.
Inverness is set to stage what is believed will be the largest Hogmanay ceilidh on the planet – after Highland Council changed the format for this year's New Year celebration.
Some of Scotland’s top traditional musicians and singers will be welcoming in the New Year and inviting everyone to get involved, with hopes that the tweaks will make the party more about participating than just listening to bands.
Inverness and Area Provost, Councillor Glynis Campbell Sinclair, said: “Hogmanay is all about tradition and bringing folk together and that’s exactly what this year’s Inverness Red Hot Highland Fling is all about.
“The event comes straight from the heart of the Highlands and will showcase Scotland at its purest and universally loved best. If you’ve not secured your tickets yet, don’t leave it until the last minute, and avoid disappointment.”
The evening will begin with a procession led by Pyro Celtica and Harbinger Drumming Group, who have previously led Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations.
The procession starts at Falcon Square at 7.30pm on Hogmanay and ends at the Northern Meeting Park.
The ceilidh is due to start at 8pm.
Provost Sinclair added: “We want people to really engage with what Hogmanay is all about. We’ve got one of Scotland’s finest ceilidh bands, Highland Fire, who include local lads Calum MacPhail and Sean Cousins from the band Horo, to keep the dancers moving.”
Skipinnish’s Norrie MacIver will also be performing songs in both English and Gaelic while Siobhan Miller, three-time winner of the Scots Trad Music Award and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner, will also be on the bill.
There will be instrumental fireworks with Ali Hutton and Ross Ainslie, the driving force behind The Treacherous Orchestra. They will be joined by Ewan Robertson of Breabach.
The parade is free to anyone to join in but the ceilidh is ticketed.
All under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult and a maximum of two under 18s per adult will be admitted.
Tickets are non-refundable and are available here along with other advice and information for those attending.
