Thousands expected at Aberdeen beach for special Eid celebration

Eid at the Beach is believed to be the "first event of its kind" to be held in the UK.

By Chris Cromar

May 7 2024, 7:47 pm

The event will take place at Aberdeen beach in June. Image: DC Thomson.

Organisers of a special event to celebrate Eid al-Adha are expecting thousands of people to attend the celebration at Aberdeen beach this summer.

Billed as the “first event of its kind” to take place at a UK beach, it is being organised by charity and not-for-profit organisation Aberdeen Muslims and will be held at Queen’s Link at the Beach Esplanade.

Also involved in “Eid at the Beach” are Aberdeen Mosque and Islamic Centre, Aberdeen Turkish Education and Cultural Centre, Masjid, Alhikmah and Community Centre, as well as Syed Shah Mustafa Mosque.

They expect in the region of 2,000 to 3,000 people to attend.

AMIC set up the city's Central Mosque in the former Frederick Street School in 2021. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson. — Aberdeen Mosque and Islamic Centre are partners in the event. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson.

The event will take place on either Sunday, June 16 or Monday, June 17, with a decision not being made until June 10 due to the “nature of the Islamic calendar”.

It is based on moon cycles and cannot be confirmed until 10 days beforehand.

Eid al-Adha is one of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam – along with Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan – and is to remember the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim.

Eid at the Beach will start with a “call to prayer”, with organisers saying that it will result in “the Muslims of Aberdeen praying together at 10am.”

Aberdeen Muslim worshippers at prayer. — The event will start with a “call to prayer”. Image: Jim Irvine/DC Thomson.

After this, the event will be “opened up to the wider community” for an Eid party starting at 11am, which will include a world food and a BBQ.

There will also be a large kids zone, with organisers promising a “variety of activities” including a bouncy castle, fireworks, henna painting and “interesting information stalls about Islam”.

‘Raise as much money as possible for the people of Gaza’

On a Facebook post about the event, promoters outlined their fundraising plans for the day, saying: “As part of the fun day, we will be working in partnership with Muslim Charity to raise as much money as possible for the people of Gaza.”

Urging people to come along, organisers added: “We will bring the Imam, you bring your prayer mat and shades.”

Data from the 2011 Census showed that around 6% of Scotland’s estimated Muslim population of 77,000 live in the Granite City.