City paves way for Cavalcade comeback

A FLAGSHIP festival event that was axed last month could return - but only once every two years.

• The Festival Cavalcade could be back - on a more modest timetable

The Festival Cavalcade, which has helped to formally get the festivities under way every year since 1976 and regularly attracted thronging crowds of more than 100,000 spectators, was cancelled following the shock resignation of its main organiser.

It has now emerged that city council officials want to create a biennial festival parade, giving people a free taste of some of the acts and performances that are part of the Fringe and International Festival programmes.

The prospect of reviving the parade as an event that takes place every two years is part of a major review being co-ordinated by officials from the council's culture and sport department, alongside representatives of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Fringe and other festivals.

The first of the adapted biennial parades is expected to take place next year to tie in with cultural events taking place in Edinburgh as part of the UK-wide "cultural olympiad", which will run alongside the 2012 Olympic Games. Councillor Steve Cardownie, the city's festivals and events champion, said: "At the moment, we're still very much in the early stages of discussions with our partners about what a future Cavalcade-style event might encompass. The idea of having something every two years is certainly in the mix."

As well as next year's event, it is hoped that a 2014 cavalcade could tie in with festivities happening in Scotland around the Commonwealth Games.

The council had earmarked 50,000 of funding for this year's Cavalcade.

It has pledged that the money will instead be used to fund the new event, which is expected to be held on the Royal Mile, beginning at Edinburgh Castle and ending at Holyrood Park.

Cllr Cardownie insisted that he still hoped that the Cavalcade could return as an annual event at some point.

He said: "It is a fantastic showcase opener to our festivals and it is always tremendous to see tourists and citizens enjoying this spectacle, which is an integral part of the festival scene.

"I am firmly committed to do everything we can to ensure the long-term stability of the event.

"Whether it is biennial or annual I do not know but I would rather it could return to being an annual event so that people do not miss out."

Former director David Todd, left, who resigned after organising the event seven years in a row, had indicated that a major review of the event would have to be carried out if it was unable to return to Princes Street, where it had been held until tram work forced it to relocate to Holyrood Park.

In an internal document for councillors, culture and sport officials said: "Future Cavalcades beyond 2012 will be considered as part of the review process as there is now the potential of establishing a new (biennial) Festival parade - the 2014 Commonwealth Games would be an ideal opportunity to build this new model."

Private firms 'must give to festivals'

THE Capital will only retain its crown as the world's leading festivals city if private firms help to provide funding, festival chiefs said today.

The Evening News revealed yesterday that the city's programme of 12 festivals are worth 90.6 million a year to hotels and guest houses and another 83.3m to pubs, cafes and restaurants. And they generate a total of almost 250m a year for Edinburgh's economy.

But spending cuts are putting pressure on the public money that helps support the festivals.

It is understood options include a city-wide "business improvement district" for the hospitality sector, where firms pay a levy to fund promotion.

Faith Liddell, director of Festivals Edinburgh, said: "We and other tourism partners are in long-term discussions about how to support the work we do in the marketing of Edinburgh as a destination.

"This report confirms our position as the world's leading festivals city, but in order to stay ahead, we need to continue to lead."

Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government's culture secretary, said that it may be worth looking at providing an "additional incentive".