Highland Council has announced 5,000 tickets are on sale for this year’s Hogmanay ceilidh celebration in Inverness.
The mass ceilidh dance will replace the Red Hot Highland Fling concert this New Year.
The council also confirmed that the entry fee for the event will be £12.50, with officials saying they have no concerns about attendance following the introduction of the fee.
What can you expect?
The Hogmanay ceilidh will kick off at 8:30 on December 31 and will not finish until 00:30 on New Year.
For those who are unsure about the traditional dances there will be dance masters in the crowd to help people out in the “inclusive event”.
And there will be food and drink stands at the Northern Meeting Park, where the Highland Council Arena is located.
Which acts will be at the Hogmanay ceilidh?
Well-known acts in the ceilidh scene have been booked for the event, including Highland Fire, Norrie MacIver from Skippinish and Siobhan Miller.
A council spokesperson said: “We 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 very own Norrie MacIver will be joining for some songs in both English and Gaelic.
“We also have three-time winner of the Scots Trad Music Award and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner Siobhan Miller to lead us up to the bells.”
How much do Hogmanay ceilidh tickets cost?
The council confirmed that 5,000 tickets will go on sale, but say they could increase the capacity. All tickets are £12.50.
Pre-parade free to all
The ceilidh will be preceded by a free parade, which will be led by Pyro Celtica and Harbinger Drumming Group.
The parade will start at 7:30 from Falcon Square and will finish at 8:30 at the Northern Meeting Park, where the major event will take place.
High hopes for Hogmanay ceilidh
Inverness Provost Glynis Campbell Sinclair welcomed the Hogmanay ceilidh saying: “We are absolutely delighted.”
She also said that the previous format was outdated. “It was either making the changes or no longer doing it.”
She added: “It is also about returning to traditions and without a doubt it will bring more tourism.”
‘Value for money’
Inverness City Area Manager David Hass said they are “not concerned about attendance” even though the New Year’s event will now have an entry fee.
“What can you really get for £12.50 these days anyway? Probably just a couple of pints.”
He continued: “The event is really good value for money.”
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