Shake It Off

Begone 2022: it’s about time for these 20s to roar. Jo Laidlaw shares the lowdown on the return of

It’s safe to say that, so far, this decade has been a lot. And really, the only correct response to that is to gather your nearest and dearest, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to welcome the new year with open arms. Thankfully, after a three-year absence, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is back; and it’s better than ever, with not one, not two, but three spectacular concerts in Princes Street Gardens.

It all kicks off on the Night Afore (December 30), with pop princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor joining Glasgow pop legends Altered Images to start the party in an all-new family-friendly concert. There’s no letting up on the 1st either, when a spectacular Final Fling concert will close the festival with a bang, rather than a whimper. If you prefer a little contemplation in your new year mix, the beautiful Candlelit Concert in St Giles’ Cathedral provides a little calm, while a series of free First Footin’ performances will lead music fans through the city’s bars and pubs on New Year’s Day.

But all eyes are on the night itself. The Pet Shop Boys will headline the Concert In The Gardens on Hogmanay, with the world-famous Street Party seeing thousands of revellers not just taking to the streets, but becoming part of the show: for the first time, they’ll be issued with LED wristbands which will create amazing lighting effects in the lead-up to the glories of the midnight fireworks. • Various venues, Edinburgh, Friday 30 December–Sunday 1 January.