Organisers of Edinburgh's Hogmanay have doubled the price of tickets to the annual Hogmanay Street Party. The event which sees around 100,000 people pile into Princes Street on the 31st December will now cost £10, up from £5 last year and £2.50 three years ago. The "administration fee" is necessary, say the council, for "covering rises in fuel, security and infrastructure costs" and "compares favourably to other paid-for events around the UK". The raise is expected to bring in £196,000 additional revenue to offset the costs of the Street Party, which last year lost its major sponsor.

Early bird tickets

An initial 10,000 of Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party passes will be available to the public from Friday 3 October for a promotional fee of £5. More on Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party tickets.

The full details of the Edinburgh's Hogmanay programme will be announced at the beginning of November. In addition to the revelry of the Street Party, with its fireworks, music and street theatre, the programme will include a range of free and family-friendly events over the four days of Hogmanay (29 December - 1 January).

One event already announced is the Feet First outdoor spectacle on 1 January 2009 in Edinburgh's historic High Street. This free event is supported by the Scottish Government's Expo Fund initiative.

Pete Irvine, Creative Director of Edinburgh's Hogmanay promised that "there are exciting plans in the pipeline and these will be revealed in due course."

Review of future Hogmanay celebrations

Councillors gave the go-ahead for a comprehensive review of future Hogmanay celebrations to see how the event can be developed, enhanced and improved. The impetus for the review is the Council's desire to ensure that Edinburgh's Hogmanay continues to be one of the world's premier New Year celebrations.

"We're very aware that Edinburgh's Hogmanay has been copied by various cities, and we want to raise the bar yet again to ensure we continue to stand out from the crowd," said councillor Steve Cardownie Festival and Events Champion at City of Edinburgh Council..

"We want our Hogmanay celebrations to continue to be best in the world. Not only do they put Edinburgh firmly on the world map, but they significantly boost Edinburgh's economy, last year generating over £29m for city businesses. The price increase to £10 will allow us to make this year's experience sparkle."