Media information
Under embargo until 12noon on Monday 19 September 2016
Edinburgh’s Christmas is the place to be in 2016
· On behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, Underbelly today announces the programme for Edinburgh’s Christmas 2016/2017.
· Edinburgh’s Christmas is one of the most popular Christmas celebrations in the UK. 2016 will see the biggest, brightest and best programme of events and entertainment across the city centre to date.
· This year the celebration expands into the West End for the first time to transform the city centre, stretching from Festival Square in the West End to George Street, St Andrew Square in the East End and of course East Princes Street Gardens.
· Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from Friday 18 November 2016 to Saturday 7 January 2017.
· New sponsorship partnerships announced between Edinburgh’s Christmas and one of Edinburgh’s biggest employers Standard Life, as well as Western Toyota, joining many other partners.
This is the fourth year of Underbelly creating and delivering Edinburgh’s Christmas on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council. In its four years of producing the event, Underbelly has grown the event to be one of the biggest and most diverse Christmas events in the UK. Adding to a dynamic city centre, it established Edinburgh as the place to be at Christmas in 2015:
· 2015 saw 866,930 unique visitors clock 1,350,477 attendances to the event at St Andrew Square and East Princes Street Gardens.
· 256,653 people from 50 different countries attended the inaugural Street of Light on the Royal Mile.
· The inaugural Street of Light triggered a social media explosion with #streetoflight achieving 54 million Twitter impressions.
· 99,990 discount tickets were sold to EH postcode holders.
· Footfall in Edinburgh in 2015 was up +4.4% in December 2015 year on year, against a UK average fall of -2.1%.
· Retail sales in Edinburgh in November and December have increased by 1.4% from the same period in 2012 on a three year average, against a Scottish average of -1% and a UK–wide average of 0.5%.
· Hotel occupancy in Edinburgh in December 2015 is up 9.3% from December 2012.
And Edinburgh will continue to the place to be in 2016 with the following highlights:
· The stunning Street of Light moves to West George Street and opens on 20 November as part of Light Night. This huge 60,000 bulb success in 2015 returns in 2016, this time located on the west end of George Street, spreading the beneficial effect to the West End of Edinburgh; with music from local choirs and bands including the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus, the hottest contemporary fiddle music from the Highlands and Islands, Blazin’ Fiddles, and Scotland’s very own bhangra group Tigerstyle. Last year’s spectacular was all about spectating, this year we want to get you singing and dancing. Free to access.
· Edinburgh’s Christmas is delighted to announce a new partnership with one of Edinburgh’s biggest employers, Standard Life, as new sponsors of St Andrew Square and its elliptical ice rink, a much loved part of the Christmas festivities in the city.
As part of the celebrations, Standard Life will be gifting 10,000 free tickets to school children in Edinburgh. They will have a chance to take a free spin around the ice rink in the stunning setting of St Andrew Square between 18 November 2016 and 7 January 2017. Standard Life free tickets for school children will be available from 11 October and all schools in Edinburgh will be eligible to apply and join in the celebrations.
Those applying for free tickets online will also be invited to make a donation to Place2Be, a leading national children’s mental health charity and chosen by Standard Life’s employees as their charity partner in the UK. The Christmas ice rink is always a popular draw for families, last year issuing over 61,000 tickets over the Christmas period. Standard Life will also be gifting some tickets to Place2Be, its official charity partner until the end of 2017, and encouraging people to support their work.
· The new Festival Square Theatre pops up on 18 November in Festival Square outside the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, with a dazzling new production by Underbelly of the West End and Broadway hit Five Guys Named Moe, featuring the toe tapping, irresistible Clarke Peters’ musical with the hits of Louis Jordan including Early In The Morning, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie and Saturday Night Fish Fry plus many more performed on stage by our all singing and all dancing Five Guys and a live band.
· And for families seeking the magic of Christmas Morgan & West: A (sort of) Christmas Carol Magic Show! (1 Dec – 7 Jan) brings the world’s most distinguished duo of Time Travelling Magicians Morgan & West with Dickens’s timeless classic A Christmas Carol, sort of.
· Spreading the Christmas effect across the city, and working in partnership with fellow theatres in Edinburgh’s West End for the first time, Christmas on Stage sets out to draw audiences to some of the best Christmas entertainment around.
The Christmas on Stage partnership between the Lyceum, Traverse, Usher Hall and Edinburgh’s Christmas will celebrate live theatre and music in Edinburgh’s West End. Additionally, One Square Restaurant is teaming up with Edinburgh’s Christmas to offer audiences for Five Guys Named Moe in the Festival Square Theatre the show and a festive dinner and parking package.
As part of the Christmas on Stage partnership, tickets via edinburghschristmas.com will be available for the Lyceum (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) and the Traverse (Black Beauty).
2016 also sees the return of the popular Edinburgh resident’s 20% discount across all shows, rides and events. In 2015 99,990 tickets were sold to Edinburgh residents accessing their 20% off tickets, providing a total saving of over £170,000 to residents across the city.
· Sunday 20 November is Light Night in Scotland’s capital city when the Christmas lights are switched on across the city. This hugely popular event last year saw almost 20,000 people gather to watch over a thousand local performers take a starring role in this free event marking the beginning of Christmas. This year Light Night will again be hosted by Forth One DJ Arlene Stuart and will incorporate the opening of Street of Light and performances by Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus and other Edinburgh and Scottish choirs and bands. Free to access.
· East Princes Street Gardens remains a centre point for families with Santa’s Grotto, the Santa Train and the Christmas Tree Maze providing lots of Christmas magic to kids aged 1 to 99. Favourite rides including the Star flyer, traditional Carousel and the Big Wheel return. The Gardens fling wide their gates on Saturday 19 November. Free to access.
· The Scottish Market With everything from local produce stalls to Scottish artists and craftsmen selling their wares, moves to sit next to Street of Light in George Street, opening on 26 November. Free to access.
· Winter Windows With the generous support of new partner, Western Toyota, 25 schools in Edinburgh are taking part in Winter Windows, the creative project conceived by Underbelly in 2014. During the autumn term, each school will work with pupils to design stained glass windows with the theme of architecture, reflecting 2016’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design. The best window design from each school will be displayed in East Princes Street Gardens to be seen by the millions of visitors to Edinburgh’s Christmas, giving local school children a great way to get involved in the festivities and show off their artistic talents. Free to access.
· 24 Doors of Advent returns allowing residents and visitors to peep behind usually closed doors throughout the city throughout advent. In 2016, working with Festival of Architecture and Royal Incorporation of Architects Scotland (RIAS), 24 Doors of Advent opens many new doors for you to explore behind this year including Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Chapel of St Albert the Great & BT Murrayfield Stadium. Free to access.
· Nativity Carol Concert
Sunday 27 November, 3pm, St Andrew Square
In conjunction with St Andrews and St Georges West and Edinburgh Churches Together, at the start of Advent, a carol concert will take place around the Nativity Scene in St Andrew Square, generously donated to Edinburgh by Sir Tom Farmer. Free to access.
Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, Edinburgh’s Christmas, said: “This is the fourth year of Underbelly producing Edinburgh’s Christmas on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council and during that time the event itself and the positive impact it has socially on the residents of Edinburgh and economically for the businesses in the city and the city itself have grown substantially. In 2016 we are looking forward to putting on the biggest event yet, stretching from St Andrew Square to the West End, from the hit musical Five Guys Named Moe in a fantastic new production in Festival Square Theatre, to a partnership with Standard Life offering 10,000 free ice skating tickets to schoolchildren, from Street of Light transforming George Street to the local choirs of Edinburgh on Light Night. Edinburgh in winter is truly world class and proves yet again, it’s the place to be.”
Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Festivals and Events Champion, said: “This winter, the curtain will rise at the West End as Edinburgh’s Christmas expands right across the city. An exciting new collaboration between the Capital’s theatres will take Edinburgh’s Christmas to the stage, while the Street of Light will move to George Street for its second year. The events drew over one million visitors last year and regulars will be delighted to hear festive favourites like Santa’s Grotto, the Big Wheel and ice rink will return. With such a colourful programme, I’m sure Edinburgh’s Christmas will hold on to its reputation as one of the most popular winter celebrations in the UK!”
Graeme McEwan, Chief Communications Officer, Standard Life, said “As one of the largest employers in Edinburgh, we’re extremely pleased to be supporting Edinburgh’s Christmas 2016. It promises to be an inspiring festival that our employees and the people of Edinburgh will enjoy being part of, as well as the many visitors who come to Edinburgh for this special celebration.”
Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh’s Christmas has been very successful at bringing people to the city centre during the Festive Season in even greater numbers, so we welcome the announcement of such an exciting programme. It is excellent that the festival is being spread across the city centre with both George Street and the west end at Festival Square becoming new hubs of activity, thus supporting footfall right across our BID area and beyond."
John Donnelly, Chief Executive Marketing Edinburgh said: “The substantial year on year growth over the last four years in terms of footfall, hotel occupancy and retail spend throughout December is a testament to the quality of the city’s Christmas celebrations and varied shopping offering.Edinburgh’s Christmas has played a crucial role in building the city’s reputation as one of the UK’s most popular festive destinations.
“I am particularly pleased Street of Light is moving to West George Street. After its success last year on the Royal Mile, I have no doubt it will prove the perfect gateway leading residents and visitors to the new West End attractions.”
Christopher Bell, Chorus Master of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus said, “I'm delighted to be invited to bring two fine ensembles to this Christmas Party. Both the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the RSNO Junior Chorus will get a chance to perform for an audience that doesn't normally hear them - a wonderful Christmas present all round."
Blazin’ Fiddles said: “We’re delighted to be part of the Street of Light in Edinburgh this Christmas, and to have the music of the Highlands and Islands lighting up the capital over the festive period.”
David Greig, Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre said; “I love Christmas shows, it’s the perfect time to coorie in with the ones you love in a theatre and laugh, cry and share the joy of a good story well told. Christmas on stage is going to be a blast.”
Linda Crooks, Executive Producer of the Traverse Theatre, said: “We are delighted to be a part of this new collaborative partnership which celebrates Edinburgh as a year-round destination for quality entertainment. As a venue and producer of new work throughout the year, we aim to continuously enrich the cultural offering for visitors to the city whenever they come. The Christmas on Stage partnership celebrates the diversity of live performance to be found in the city’s West End and we are proud to be at the heart of this with Black Beauty for audiences young and old and Last Christmas for our more mature audiences.”
Tristan Nesbitt, General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, said: “The arrival of the Festival Square Theatre this Christmas will add to the buzz of our vibrant cultural quarter. One Square is delighted to partner with Edinburgh’s Christmas and offer a special dining package to ticket holders attending the exciting West End and Broadway hit Five Guys Named Moe.”