Inverness' Hogmanay event scrapped over rising costs

A publicly-funded Hogmanay event that has been running in Inverness since 2008 has been scrapped over rising costs.

The Red Hot Highland Fling was previously described as Scotland’s biggest free Hogmanay concert, attracting crowds of around 10,000.

A ticketing system and entry charges were later introduced, resulting in restricted attendance of around 5,000 people.

The new requirements combined with the risk of cancellation due to extreme weather has made the event in its traditional format “no longer viable”, Highlands Council said.

In 2009, the event was cancelled due a snow blizzard and was again cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. It was abandoned once more in 2024 due to redevelopment works.

Provost of Inverness, Cllr Glynis Sinclair said: “Sadly, we have come to the end of an era of the Red Hot Highland Fling Hogmanay Event. It is with regret that we confirm that this major event in the Inverness Events and Festivals programme will no longer feature on the winter festival calendar of events.

“We have hosted some amazing bands over the years with fantastic crowds, and I would like to thank everyone who has attended an Inverness Hogmanay event since it was first hosted in 2008.

“The Events and Festivals Working Group has made every effort to engage in recent months with hospitality businesses in the city centre and other event organisers to explore the opportunity of an Inverness Common Good supported city centre-based event which could be delivered through collaboration and partnership.

“Unfortunately, no proposals were forthcoming and therefore there is no longer the justification to invest funds from the Inverness Common Good Fund into a Hogmanay event.

“While we regret the end of a publicly funded Inverness Hogmanay event, the Events and Festivals Working Group will continue to support the Highland hospitality and business sector, particularly during the shoulder months, October – March, by creating new and exciting crowd-pleasing events.