5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Festival and Fringe cancellations pile up over Storm Floris
However hundreds of shows are currently expected to go ahead throughout the day in indoor venues across the Scottish capital.
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The Royal [[Edinburgh]] Military Tattoo was forced to scrap a performance due to bad weather for the first time in its 75-year history, while [[Edinburgh]] Castle was closed for the day.
The Edinburgh International Festival pulled the plug on outdoor all-ticket 'Ceilidh Sessions' concert in Princes Street Gardens, which were completely closed to the public by the city council.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has suffered the first weather-related cancellation in its 75-year history. Picture: Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
A full day of events at Fringe by the Sea, in North Berwick, has been called off after organisers decided to close the entire site at the Lodge Grounds.
The Famous Spiegeltent, one of the most popular pop-up Fringe venue, announced the full closure of its site in St Andrew Square for the day.
The Pleasance announced the closure of two pop-up venues – The Green and Kidzone - at its main courtyard site, but said it was planning to keep the rest of its sites open as usual.
A spokesperson said: 'With Scotland on amber warning, we have cancelled a number of shows in order to ensure the safety of our staff and audiences.
'The Pleasance has a robust wind management plan and if the wind reaches dangerous levels we will close our sites or change how we manage our venues.
'We are proactively monitoring the situation and have several plans that can be deployed dynamically.'
The Tattoo, which announced the cancellation of Monday's performance on Sunday night, has only previously been called off due to the Covid pandemic.
A spokesperson said: 'We understand this will be disappointing, but the safety of our audience, performers and staff is our top priority.
'All tickets for the 4th August performance will be automatically cancelled and refunded.'
A spokesperson for the Edinburgh International Festival said: 'Following consultation with the city council, regarding the closure of Princes Street Gardens, the Ceilidh Sessions must sadly be cancelled.
'All ticket holders will be automatically issued with a full refund from our box office in the next 48 hours.
'Currently, all other events will go ahead as planned. Please ensure you check the latest travel information and allow extra time for your journeys.'
A spokesperson for the Famous Spiegeltent said: 'Due to advice from the Met Office and high winds expected from Storm Floris, the Famous Spiegeltent and Spiegel Garden will be closed on Monday for the safety of our audiences, artists and crew. We'll reopen as usual on Tuesday from 11am.
'All ticket holders for affected performances will be contacted directly by their ticketing provider. Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe and we'll see you soon under calmer skies.'
