Thousands gear up for arrival of new-look city cavalcade

Published on Wednesday 22 July 2009 09:51

MOTORBIKES, motorised floats and more than 2,000 people will make their way through Holyrood Park to mark the first week of the city's festivals after being forced to give way to the tram works.

The annual Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade will be headed by a pack of 150 dream machines including Harley Davidsons, Honda Gold Wings and Ducatis and will contain the entire cast of the Tattoo, 20 motorised floats, and 12 bands from across Scotland.

The procession has been shrouded in uncertainty after being forced to abandon its traditional route along Princes Street to avoid the ongoing tram works.

However, cavalcade director David Todd today said the move had given organisers extra scope to extend the event, and advised spectators to turn up earlier and stay later than in previous years.

He said: "There will be all the elements of last year but in a slightly different order. The cavalcade itself will be slightly shorter because we're concentrating on the motorbikes, the Tattoo, the floats and the bands.

"But the groups that used to be walking groups will be entertaining in the park, so that will be a bit different. People will hopefully enjoy the whole park rather than just the actual cavalcade."

He added: "There's no Fringe Sunday this year, so, without upsetting anybody, we've been able to incorporate some of the elements of that.

"With all that park space around, we really felt that we needed to use it."

The event will start at 2pm on Sunday, 9 August at the Holyrood Park Road entrance, by the Commonwealth Pool.

It will then head down towards Our Dynamic Earth and the parliament, finishing close to Meadowbank Stadium at about 3pm.

As part of the celebration, organisers say there will be floats representing popular Fringe shows including Tempo Musical Productions, Forth Children's Theatre, Edinburgh Peoples' Theatre and the Lady Boys of Bangkok.

Community floats from Bathgate's Balbardie Primary School and The Yard Adventure Centre in Edinburgh will also take part, and all participating groups will also give free performances both before and immediately after the cavalcade in the palace grounds between noon and 3pm.

Other attractions planned include more than 1,000 performers in costume, 12 bands from across Scotland and one from Norway, dancing, tai-chi demonstrations, balloon modelling, glitter face painting and Chinese writing, with organisers hoping to attract the city's families to the event.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, the city's festivals and events champion, said: "The Festivals' Cavalcade is always a popular event with residents and visitors of all ages and Holyrood Park will be a beautiful backdrop for it."

Roads to Holyrood Park will be closed, with access to the grounds for spectators on foot only at the park's five entrances. The public are advised that only cars displaying a disabled badge will be allowed to park in the palace grounds.