Edinburgh Christmas festival to go ahead

Edinburgh's Christmas festival will go ahead after a new events company was appointed, replacing the previous contractor who pulled out.

A partnership between Unique Events and Assembly Festival, called Unique Assembly, will now deliver it, as well as the Hogmanay festival.

City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said he was "delighted" to find a solution so quickly.

The city's Christmas festival is due to run from 18 November to 3 January.

The original £5.5m five year deal collapsed late last month following "differences of opinion" between Angels Event Experience Limited (AEE) and the council over what could realistically be delivered.

A meeting of the council's finance and resource committee has now awarded a new contract to Unique Assembly.

Councillors were told the new deal would see a slimmed-down festival compared to the programme initially proposed.

However, the traditional attractions including the Christmas market and funfair attractions in East and West Princes Street Gardens and on the Mound will be preserved.

There will also be an ice rink on George Street, a charity installation in St Andrew Square and a selection of free events for families at the Ross Bandstand, including a nativity carol concert.

AEE will operate as a subcontractor as the firm has already secured several local traders for the market.

Council leader Cammy Day said: "I'm delighted that we've been able to find a solution so quickly, ensuring Edinburgh's world-famous Christmas celebrations can go ahead this year."

He promised a "full review into why this happened", but said the new plans would "deliver on the key elements of our public consultation, including reduced use of green spaces, more accessible and family-friendly attractions, greater use of local traders and a more even spread around the city centre".

Paul Lawrence, the council's director of place, said that throughout the process of planning the festival there were "some differences of opinion and matters of tension between ourselves and the contractors".

He said officers were aware of "significant work" required to fulfil some parts of the agreed contract, adding the council staff involved would "look at the procurement approach we've used here and suggest whether alternatives might be better suited".

The contract has been awarded to Unique Assembly for one year, with the option of a one-year extension, should pre-agreed performance measures be met.

Further details and timings of the Edinburgh Christmas programme will be announced in the coming weeks.