200,000 expected to watch fireworks mark end of festival

Published on Friday 3 September 2010 12:35

THE heavens will glow in a brilliant cascade of colour on Sunday as the traditional climax to the Edinburgh International Festival goes off with a bang.

The festival finale is expected to attract an audience of more than 200,000 people watching from vantage points scattered across the city.

More than 100,000 fireworks, four tonnes of explosives, and hundreds of firing sequences - including the famous waterfall at Edinburgh Castle - will be ignited during 45 minutes of live music, thunderous explosions, and colour.

Ten-year-old Tomas Brough and fencing champion Lisa McKenzie, 21, have the enviable honour of hitting the red button to trigger the 2010 bonanza.

Organisers have recommended Princes Street and Inverleith Park as the best viewing spots for non-ticket holding spectators, the latter boasting a live video feed of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra relayed to a large screen. Princes Street is closed to traffic for the evening and has an enhanced sound system carrying the performance from the Ross Bandstand and Radio Forth is also broadcasting the concert.

A smattering of tickets remain for Princes Street Gardens where about 12,000 people are expected to enjoy the extravaganza.

Joanna Baker, managing director of the Edinburgh International Festival, said the event was a "fantastic way to finish the festival season".

"It is a really brilliant finale and a fantastic event for the city of Edinburgh," she said.

Ticket sales have raised about 10,000 for the British Heart Foundation - Lloyds Banking Group's charity of the year.

Police have warned spectators not to bring glass or bottles to the concert which starts at 9pm.

Festival fans can keep up to date on all the latest news about the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert at www.eif.co.uk/fireworks

ROADS TO NOWHERE

To facilitate crowd safety, many roads throughout the city will be closed to traffic.

These are: Princes Street (from south Charlotte Street to south St David), Frederick Street, Castle Street, The Mound, Hanover Street, Rose Street, North Bank Street, Market Street (from Waverley Bridge to the Mound), Bank Street, Mound Place, Ramsay Lane, Ramsay Garden, St Giles Street, George IV Bridge (northbound only). From 7.30pm to 1.30am: Princes Street (from Lothian Road to South Charlotte Street and from south St David Street to North Bridge), South Charlotte Street, Waverley Bridge, South St David Street, St Andrew Square (except buses), South St Andrew Street, Meuse Lane, West Register Street, West Register Street Lane, Register Place.

Parking restrictions will also be in place around many areas.