Get ready for Aberdeen’s Hogmanay party
Scottish singers take centre stage
Published:
REVELLERS are already looking towards the year’s biggest party at Hogmanay.
The annual street celebrations are set to take the Castlegate by storm with Scottish stars Amy Macdonald and Sandi Thom centre stage.
Today the Evening Express gives you all you need to know about getting around the city centre on December 31.
The main events will be taking place in an arena on Union Street.
Justice Street, Marischal Street, Exchequer Row, Market Street, St Nicholas Street, Broad Street and King Street will all be closed off.
The arena will be accessed from the junction of Market Street and Union Street.
There will be first aid points, toilets and points to exchange glass bottles and cans for plastic glasses across the arena, which holds 20,000 people. Senior events manager Bill Farquhar said: “People will be able to bring in alcohol with them but we will be asking for it to be in plastic bottles.
“They do not have to take it with them – there will be four pubs within the arena who are selling alcohol.
“The most important thing is ensuring that people have a good time, but making sure they stay safe. We are allowing up to 20,000 people into the arena, and expect 30,000 to 40,000 people in Aberdeen at some point in the evening.”
The event starts at 9pm with gates opening an hour before.
And the celebrations are due to finish at 12.30am.
People entering the arena will be given wristbands which they will have to hand back in as they leave.
There will also be a disabled viewing platform.
Bus services, run by First Aberdeen, will be on offer for a £4 flat-rate.
Singers Sandi Thom and Amy Macdonald will be the headline acts for the Hogmanay celebrations.
Performing separately, the pair are expected to entertain tens of thousands of people in the Castlegate.
Sandi, originally from Macduff, first shot to fame with her debut single I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker in 2006, while Glasgow-born Miss Macdonald was last year’s second-biggest British debut female artist after the success of her album This is the Life.
Any Dream Will Do finalist Keith Jack, who is starring in Peter Pan at HM Theatre, will open the city's Hogmanay celebrations.
He will then rush out to Milton of Crathes, near Banchory, where he will perform a string of Broadway hits.
Readers' Comments
Gee whiz, ats jist amazin. Scottish singers in Aberdeen eh? Wow, never heard the like. Well pointed out...
Frank Arthur
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Who cares it free (I am an Aberdonian), not costing the taxpayer anything and it's fun. I'll be there dressed as a punk rocker with flowers in my hair :0)
Derek Bain
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I hope that Aberdeen City Council does not think that this will make the citizens of Aberdeen forget about the mess Aberdeen is in.We still have to go into a New Year with the chronic cut backs,a big deficit and more propagandistic claptrap from the still in residence Council leaders.
Stan Domeracki
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