Restaurant in sky is returning - cheaper, and with bubbles

Published on Monday 28 March 2011 15:27

A FLOATING restaurant that towered above one of Edinburgh's best-known beauty spots during last year's Fringe is to make a comeback - but ticket prices will be slashed and fine dining ditched in favour of performers.

A Glasgow-based events company that ran the Festival in the Sky attraction last year made a heavy loss on the venture after failing to persuade enough visitors to take a trip 100ft above West Princes Street Gardens.

However, a new company taking the attraction on a UK tour this summer says lessons have been learned from the previous venture, which was launched in a blaze of publicity.

Last year's Festival in the Sky was pitched at the fine dining market, but organisers of the new venture have revealed they are moving away from that concept and will only rarely serve full meals. There are also plans to extend last year's 30-minute "flights".

Although Festival in the Sky was in Edinburgh for a month, dozens of flights drew only a handful of diners, even at peak times and in good weather, as Festival-goers shunned packages costing up to 95.

The price was slashed towards the end of the Fringe and meals were dropped completely from some slots in favour of drinks-only "bubbles in the sky" flights.

This year's venture will see prices capped at just 25 a head, while drinks-only packages will cost as little as 15.

Fringe acts will be laid on throughout the day, both to entertain diners on the 22-seater platform, and to perform on stage in a new-look bar and entertainment arena.

• Analysis: Feeling rather let down by a taste of the (100ft) high life

Dinner in the Sky, a Surrey-based franchise, plans to revive the attraction in Edinburgh this year after Dada decided to end its involvement.

Ian Munro, a spokesman for Dinner in the Sky UK, said: "Dada bought the rights to put on Festival in the Sky last year, but it wasn't a big success.

"People were not prepared to pay the prices being charged and it didn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the Fringe.

"We very much want to integrate it into the Fringe by bring ing in a lot more performers to provide tasters of their shows and put proper entertainment on for people who maybe just want to have a drink outside.

"Although you will still be able to have a meal in the sky, not everyone wants to do that and we'll be offering trips where people simply go up and get a drink for their money.

"We're planning to have a much simpler pricing structure, and any meals will be at the lower end of the spectrum, and no more than 25."

The Dinner in the Sky concept originated in Belgium five years ago and has since gone on to be staged in more than 30 locations around the world, including Las Vegas, Paris and Dubai.Steve Cardownie, the city council's festivals and events champion, said: "It's purely a business decision for the organisers to drop the prices, but I'm absolutely delighted that it's coming back.

"Pictures of this attraction are beamed all over the world and it's something we want to have in Edinburgh.

"I wasn't sure if it was going to come back after last year, but if these changes make it a bit more affordable then it'll be a good thing."