Unique Events and Assembly to run Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay festivals for up to five more years

The Christmas and Hogmanay events are said to be worth more than £150m to economy

The existing organisers of Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay festivals will be kept in charge of the city’s winter events for up to five more years under a new multi-million pound contract backed by councillors.

Unique Events, who have been involved with the new year festival since its launch in 1993, and Assembly, who have been running Fringe venues for more than 40 years, are expected to secure a joint city council contract to produce the two events.

The two companies formed a new consortium in 2022 that won the right to stage the Hogmanay festival. They were then brought in at short notice to take on the running of the Christmas festival after the collapse of a contract with a German-led consortium less than two months before the event was due to get underway.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival has been running since 1993. Picture: Keith Valentine

Under the proposed contract which councillors have given their unanimous backing, Unique and Assembly would secure annual funding of £812,456 to deliver the Hogmanay festival until 2026/27, with the possibility of the deal being extended for a further two years.

However, the two firms are expected to pay up to £1.5 million to rent key sites over the next five years, depending on how many are approved by the council for the two festivals.

Unique and Assembly were given a one-off contract to deliver the most recent Christmas festival and still have one year left on the existing Hogmanay contract. The two events are said to have a combined economic impact of more than £150m.

An overall attendance of more than three million was recorded for the most recent Christmas festival, which was mainly focused on Princes Street Gardens, St Andrew Square and George Street. More than 80,000 people were said to have attended last year's Hogmanay festival, which was staged across four days.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival has been running since 1993. Picture: Chris Watt

When the council instigated a new tendering process in August, the authority said that it was seeking proposals to “provide a high-quality offering and maintain the city’s Christmas and Hogmanay festival status as a world-class event that promotes the city internationally”.

It insisted the Hogmanay festival should retain a torchlight procession, live music and a “significant midnight moment”, but also called for proposals to expand the Christmas festivals, including in "town centres” out with the city centre.

A statement from the Unique-Asssembly consortium said: ‘We're absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to continue producing Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay over the coming years, and couldn't be more excited about delivering these important events for the city.

"Having rescued Edinburgh’s Christmas in recent years and delivered a hugely successful Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30th-anniversary festival, we will be announcing exciting new plans for this winter in due course, which will see our continued development of the much-loved events programme.

Edinburgh's Christmas festival is said to have attracted an overall audience of more than three million last year. Picture: Airborne Imagery UK/SWNS

“Whilst there are significant financial challenges ahead, we look forward to working with all funders and stakeholders to deliver these flagship winter events, ensuring Edinburgh maintains its position as one of Europe’s premier winter destinations."

Council leader Cammy Day said: “Having carried out a lessons learned exercise, and taken on board feedback from the market, we’ve taken a different approach to procuring this contract this year, allowing negotiation, clarification and greater scrutiny at every stage of the process.

"I’d like to congratulate Unique and Assembly following the unanimous decision by councillors. They bring decades of experience in delivering major events, including our own winter festivals, and I’m confident that they’ll provide a fantastic service to the city over the next three years.

“The festivals occupy a central element in the cultural calendar of our city and delivering them well for our residents and visitors remains a key priority for us – not least given the huge enjoyment they bring each year.

"They also deliver substantial economic benefit for the city and for Scotland more widely, supporting jobs and businesses in many sectors, most notably tourism, hospitality and leisure.”