REVIEW: Hogmanay’s Concert in the Gardens 2019

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party is only the beginning of the new year festivities, and if you caught my review of it you’ll know that I wasn’t bowled over. However, for a steeper price, your ticket can allow you access to both the Street Party and the Concert Gardens, which this year welcomed Franz Ferdinand as headliners along with Metronomy and Free Love. The Gardens become a stadium-like atmosphere of celebration and music for the night, holding some 75,000 to welcome in the bells.

Now after saying that the Street Party ticket didn’t quite live up to its price tag, it might be surprising that to hear that I think the premium price for Gardens is actually well worth the spend. If you’re a fan of the musical acts, then you’re getting three great performances in the grandeuse settings of Princes Street Gardens, under fireworks and the illuminated castle. The acts are on stage for a decent length of time, and when they’re finished you can pop into the Street Party to finish dancing off the cold. If it wasn’t for the bitter cold of Scottish December, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were at a small festival for a respectively reasonable price. The entry allowance of two litres of drinks doesn’t hurt, and neither does the free whisky on entry. As with the Street Party, the venue needs more amenities, like meeting points and bathrooms, but Gardens entry means that entertainment is not lacking like it is with the Street Party.

If you’re not keen on the cold, then you might struggle. However, if you’re turned on by crowds and music, then the Gardens is one of the best ways I could think of spending New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh.