Edinburgh Festival Fireworks 2018: Everything you need to know

AS is traditional at this time of year in the Capital, all eyes will look skywards on Monday evening as another festival season comes to an end with an explosive climax, the 2018 Virgin Money Edinburgh International Festival Fireworks Concert.
Edinburgh Festival Fireworks: Everything you need to knowEdinburgh Festival Fireworks: Everything you need to know
Edinburgh Festival Fireworks: Everything you need to know

This year’s concert celebrates the 100th anniversary of legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein and will see some 400,000 fireworks explode high above the city.

The display is the work of fireworks experts Pyrovision, lead by head designer Keith Webb. who has worked on every firework display since 1984.

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In the past eight years, as the event has grown in stature and size to become the biggest fireworks concert of its kind in the world, more than 1,750,000 people have enjoyed the event from vantage points across the city.

There are many great ­locations from which to watch the annual extravaganza and this year, a brand new one has been added to the list - the roof top of The Principal Hotel, formerly The George, on George Street.

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In full: Festival Fireworks 2018 parking restrictions

On Monday you can join the revellers in the Threesixty:Forth pop-up bar, which boasts stunning views of the city and is the perfect spot to celebrate the end of another festival.

The rooftop evening will start at 7.30pm with a welcome 
cocktail, snacks and music courtesy of the hotel’s resident DJ until it is time for the fireworks when you will be able to listen to a live broadcast of the concert from the Gardens as you watch the display.

Tickets are available from Eventbrite.co.uk at £25 each.

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Festival Fireworks Concert, Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens, Monday 27 August, 9pm-10.15pm

What you will hear at the Festival Fireworks

9pm

PART 1: BERNSTEIN

West Side Story Concert Suite No 1, sung by soprano Lucy Crowe and tenor Nicky Spence as Maria and Tony, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary American composer and conductor.

Crowe and Spence bring to life the love story of the doomed star-crossed lovers in this iconic masterpiece of American culture, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

9.30pm (approx)

PART 2: HOLST

A selection from The Planets.

n I Mars, the Bringer of War

n II Venus, the Bringer of Peace

n IV Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

n V Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age

n VI Uranus the Magician

Road closures during event

7.30pm-01.30am

Princes St (from South Charlotte St to South St David St), Frederick St (Princes St to George St), Castle St, The Mound, Hanover St (Princes St to George St), Rose St, Rose St North Lane, Rose St South Lane

7.30PM-11.30PM

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North Bank St, Market St (WaverleyBridge to The Mound), Bank St, Mound Pl, Ramsay Lne, Ramsay Gdn, George IV Bridge (northbound), Princes St (Sth St David St to North Bridge), Waverley Bridge, South St David St, Meuse Lne, West Register St, West Register St Lane, Register Pl, Castle Ter

10PM-11PM

Princes St (Lothian Road to South Charlotte Street), South Charlotte St, Lothian Rd (West Approach Road to Princes Street)

The Edinburgh Festival Fireworks Concert in numbers

The Edinburgh Festival Fireworks Concert starts at 9pm on Monday night with the fireworks themselves being launched skyward from 9.30pm. While the firework display may last for some 45 minutes (approx), the numbers that go into making it happen are quite astounding.

37 The number of Festival Fireworks Concerts there have been since 1982.

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12,000 people watch the Fireworks Concert from Princes Street Gardens.

131 The hugely popular fireworks ‘Waterfall’ descends 131 feet down the Castle Rock.

70 The Waterfall consists of 70 firing units laid out for 118 feet across the Castle.

16 The number of pyro-technicians it takes 7 days to lay out the fireworks.

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17 Fireworks are set up on 17 different levels of the Castle, from the ramparts to top of Castle Rock.

4 tonnes of explosives are used in the fireworks required to light up the night sky.

400,000 fireworks are used.

12 Tonnes of kit including cables, mortar racks and plywood frames are deployed.

6 The number of required to transport the fireworks and equipment; four seven and-a-half ton lorries and two one-and-a-half ton lorries.

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57 musicians from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra will perform in the Fireworks Concert, that is...

14 Violins

4 Violas

4 Cellos

2 Double basses

3 Flutes/piccolos

3 Oboes/cor anglais

3 Clarinets

2 Bassoons

5 Horns

4 Trumpets

3 Trombones

1 Tuba

2 Timpani

3 Percussion

2 Harp

1 Keyboard

1 Electric guitar

45 Minutes the display lasts (approx).

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