People from across the world will be able to experience the Shetland fire festival season through online streaming.
The season kicked off on January 13 with the Scalloway Fire Festival while the island’s biggest event, Lerwick Up Helly Aa, will return on Tuesday night.
The series of spectacular events which celebrate Shetland’s Viking connections have not been held since 2020 due to the pandemic.
To share the excitement around their return with the whole world, Promote Shetland has planned a range of online coverage, including live broadcasts of certain events.
From 7pm on January 31, Shetland Webcams, with support from Northlink Ferries, will provide a livestream of the Up Helly Aa torch-lit procession.
There will also be a live broadcast from the South Mainland Up Helly Aa which will take place on Friday, March 10.
Bringing communities together
Adam Civico, head of content at Promote Shetland, has said it will give people the opportunity to experience the “drama, fun, enjoyment, atmosphere and tradition” of the fire festivals.
He said: “The passion among organisers, guizers and spectators alike about the return of these much-treasured events is there for all to see.
“Their absence has been sorely felt over the last two winters, and that is because of the way they bring communities together for nights of socialising, guizing, torchlit processions, feasting and dancing the night away.”
Promote Shetland has enhanced its online content to coincide with the return of the season with information about al 12 events on its website.
The company’s online engagement has already increased greatly since it started sharing its fire festival campaign at the start of the year.
Mr Civico added: “The spectacle of fire festival season gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the huge community effort, with a coordinated multi-channel campaign.
“This should help increase valuable tourism through the quieter winter months and
provide long-lasting and meaningful benefits.”
Conversation