Ten facts about the Edinburgh fireworks

1 Around four tonnes of explosives and over 100,000 fireworks will be used during the 45-minute concert.

2 The opening volley of fireworks will rise around 750 feet above Edinburgh Castle.

3 It is thought to cost around £250,000 for the Edinburgh International Festival to put on the concert.

4 It is normally the most expensive production in the festival, but Speed of Light on Arthur’s Seat is thought to be costing around £1m to stage.

5 It takes a team of 15 pyrotechnics experts a full week to lay out the fireworks at the castle on 17 different levels – from the ramparts to the top of the castle rock.

6The minute-long waterfall in this year’s display features 70 different firing units laid out across a distance of
36 metres on the castle.

7Handel’s Zadok the Priest was the opening piece of music played at the first concert in 1982. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra has performed at every festival fireworks concert since then.

8 Fireworks from Australia and China will be among those used in this year’s display. Drivers of the trucks who bring them to Edinburgh have special licences and must meet strict UN guidelines on the transportation of fireworks.

9 Just three sponsors have backed the event since the first one was held in 1982 – Glenlivet, Bank of Scotland and, since last year, Virgin Money.

10 The event was at the centre of a political row in 1989 after the inclusion of Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 (Land of Hope and Glory) in the programme angered the SNP.