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The Herald Scotland
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
The Edinburgh concert venue rock bands cannot play in summer
The Ross Bandstand has been a permanent feature of Princes Street Gardens since 1877, yet its stage is almost always empty and the gates to its concrete spectator bowl rarely unlocked. Tightened restrictions on staging events in the gardens, a dramatic increase in the cost of putting on open-air concerts and the current condition of the bandstand are all said to have led to a dramatic decline in its use in recent years. Recently approved new curbs introduced by the city council for the summer festival period state that they will only allow free,' low-impact' events to be staged at the bandstand. Experts say this amounts to a ban on the all-ticket pop and rock concerts that have packed out the gardens on summer nights as far back as the early 1990s. Previous acts to appear during the summer include Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian, Orbital, Nick Cave, BB King, Tony Bennett, Bryan Ferry, Steve Earle, Joan Baez, The Waterboys, James and The Flaming Lips. The only major pop and rock concert to survive this year is the Hogmanay concert in the gardens, which has fallen victim to bad weather three times during the history of the new year festival, most recently last December. However, organisations of the new year celebrations have raised concerns over the increasing cost of staging shows at the bandstand, suggesting the lack of suitable facilities and access problems around the arena were making it increasing difficult to put on major events every year. The possibility of replacing the existing bandstand was explored after the first Hogmanay cancellation in 2003-4, but the idea was shelved due to the lack of available funding. The Ross Bandstand in West Princes Street Gardens is closed to the public for most of the year. (Image: Colin Mearns) A more ambitious vision emerged 10 years ago when a former owner of the Edinburgh Playhouse offered to help bankroll a new outdoor arena. Norman Springford's vision won the backing of the city council, which agreed to support an international design competition which was eventually won by a team led by an American architectural practice. Roddy Smith is chief executive of the city centre business group Essential Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) However, concerns began to emerge over the level of development that would be needed in the gardens to deliver the £25 million project, which attracted opposition from heritage organisations, including Historic Environment Scotland and the Cockburn Association, before it was quietly shelved by the council during the Covid pandemic. Although some basic infrastructure improvements have been carried out within the bandstand over the last decade, the venue has largely remained the same since it was built in 1935. Large-scale concerts have been staged in West Princes Street Gardens since the early industry insiders draw a contrast between what the Ross Bandstand is used for now and Kelvingrove Bandstand in Glasgow. The latter is playing host to 20 shows this summer from acts as varied as Elbow, Billy Ocean, Camera Obscura, Beluga Lagoon, Midge Ure, Hue & Cry, Anastacia, Teenage Fanclub and Karine Polwart. Ambitious plans to create a new open-air concert arena in Princes Street Gardens were shelved by the city council during the Covid pandemic. Del Amitri, King Creosote, Echo & The Bunnymen, Ocean Colour Scene, the Hothouse Flowers and Glasvegas will be among the acts playing in Queen's Park, in Glasgow's south side. However high-profile performers are conspicuous by their absence from the forthcoming calendar of forthcoming events at Edinburgh's historic outdoor gardens venue. Crowds have flocked to open-air events in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh since 1877. The line-up includes a Polish National Day celebration, a Nepalese Cultural Festival, visits from two American choirs and a performance by a Norwegian folk band. The Ross Bandstand arena was used in summers by promoters DF Concerts for shows by Scottish favourites Lewis Capaldi, Primal Scream, Simple Minds, Chvrches and Travis. The Ross Bandstand was opened to the public for a screening of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in Princes Street Gardens in 2023. Other acts who have appeared under the Summer Sessions banner in recent years have included Tom Jones, Paloma Faith, The 1975, Simply Red, James, Florence & The Machine and Madness. DF Concerts chief executive Geoff Ellis said: 'The Ross Bandstand is one of the most iconic venues in the world. It is our equivalent of the Hollywood Bowl. Artists love it and audiences love it. We had people of all ages at our shows. 'But the only way we could make them work was to do a run of shows because of all the infrastructure that we put in. We effectively put a stage over the bandstand, which costs a lot of money to do. 'The council used to count the run of concerts we did as one event, which was great as it allowed us to put on multiple nights.' Roddy Smith, chief executive of city centre business group Essential Edinburgh, admitted the future use of the bandstand is a divisive issue in the city, but insisted it was not acceptable for the facility to sit locked up for all but a handful of events. He told The Herald: 'There is a lot of conjecture and argument in the city about what the Ross Bandstand needs to be going forward. 'It is an old, pretty ugly-looking structure which has seen better days, there is no doubt about that. The issue is what we do about it. 'There needs to be a real conversation about what we can do to improve things and turn it into a real community amenity that everybody can enjoy and which can be upscaled for the odd event. 'It should become a far more open space, with a lot more greenery, that visitors and residents of the city can use all the time, not just for five or six events a year.' Al Thomson, director of Unique Events, said a revamp of the Ross Bandstand arena was around 20 years overdue. He pointed to the success of a revamp of Kelvingrove Bandstand, which was relaunched in 2014, five years after the west end venue was closed down due to its poor condition. He said: 'We would not be having this discussion now if that work had been done. We would have a performance space that is fit for purpose. 'Most cosmopolitan European cities have functional outdoor spaces for performance and art. You only have to look at the Kelvingrove. There wasn't a radical change and it's a smaller space, but you only have to look at how it is used now. 'Thankfully there was some work carried out at the Ross Bandstand to upgrade things a few years ago, but it is still really lacking in terms of how it could be and what it could be used for. 'The big issue with the gardens now is access. For an event like Hogmanay, when we are building infrastructure of scale we are really limited in terms of what vehicles we can actually bring into the gardens, which impacts on costs, as it takes longer to build anything. You also have the rail network right next to the bandstand. 'The most recent bandstand redevelopment project was looking at how to make it easier to bring in that kind of infrastructure, which would have saved time, impact and money had it gone ahead.' The Cockburn Association, the city's most influential heritage watchdog, insists it recognises the 'historical significance' of the bandstand and would fully support a refurbishment, as long as the venue is only used for 'low impact activities". It has stepped up its opposition to the gardens being used as 'a major performance hub,' citing concerns over the impact of large-scale events on public access to the gardens and its landscape". Mr Ellis said: 'The council has come under a lot of pressure to change things from some of the residents who live in the area. They don't like the park being used for events and want it to be their back garden. 'The fact is these are Victorian pleasure gardens which were created for public enjoyment and entertainment. They were not built for the pleasure of rich people.' Edinburgh-based broadcaster Vic Galloway said: 'I really like the Ross Bandstand and wish there were more concerts and events in there during the year. 'Aside from Hogmanay and occasional summer events, it's a shame it lies empty most of the time. 'The location of the venue is perfect, as it's in the dead centre of Edinburgh and near transport links, plus it has the greatest backdrop in the city. Having more events there may even bring more footfall to businesses on Princes Street too. 'As a cultural city and a capital city, Edinburgh should be hosting more outdoor events, as most other European capital cities do.' Mr Thomson said: 'It would be great for the city if we could get large-scale concerts back in the gardens in the summer. 'We have seen how Edinburgh has established itself as a go-to venue for stadium concerts in recent years. The shows at Murrayfield are delivering a huge boost for the city. People are travelling from all over the country and beyond for those shows. 'There are no other cities which have a concert venue with the backdrop like the Ross Bandstand has. 'We take a lot of what we do as a city for granted in terms of the scale of events that we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep and the variety of culture we have that is accessible to it all. But it is getting harder and harder every year to deliver that in the city centre. 'To do these concerts now and make them financially viable when you have to bring in all the additional infrastructure is really difficult for anyone to make work. 'The only way to make it add up would be through an extended programme. Unfortunately, I don't think it is going to happen again anytime soon. 'There are a lot of parties and organisations that are very vocal about large-scale events taking place in the city.' A recent consultation carried out by the city council found majority support for using the gardens for a 'major event' in August, however, there was far more support for smaller-scale 'low impact' events being staged there in the summer. The council's new rules will allow both the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival to stage large-scale events in the summer in future, but only as long as they are free of charge and do not restrict access to the gardens. One of the few all-ticket events given the green light to be staged in the gardens over the next few months is the electronic music festival Fly, which is due to be held in September. Festival founder Tom Ketley has been encouraging the council to allow smaller-scale events to be staged at the bandstand throughout the year, an idea that has been taken forward by councillors and could be introduced for 2026. Mr Ketley said: 'We recognise that the council needs to strike a balance, particularly where events may impact on residents and businesses, but an opportunity definitely exists to enhance the bandstand's future as a vibrant, well-managed cultural venue within the city. 'We would like to see some smaller low impact community led events taking place at the bandstand throughout the summer months, especially when the weather is nice as this would see the bandstand used rather than the gates chained shut.' Mr Smith suggested the council needed to rethink its policies to ensure the gardens were able to be used more in future for events of all sizes. He added: 'I'd like to see events being staged throughout the year as well as an agreed number of larger events. We have to get away from the idea that Edinburgh is all about August and Christmas. 'We need to keep the city centre moving all the time. Edinburgh has undergone a huge change over the last 10 years. The city is transforming and I see the Ross Bandstand as being an important part of that in future. 'I think it has huge potential. Very rarely do you get somewhere as potentially good as this right in the heart of a city centre.' Margaret Graham, who was recently appointed as the council's convener of culture, told The Herald: "All events which take place in West Princes Street Gardens must adhere to our standard conditions and working parameters. "Event organisers can book the Ross Bandstand for a range of events including ticketed music concerts. "All bookings are assessed to ensure the activity proposed is suitable for the site and the plans are further scrutinised by the council and our partners to ensure that those attending and the park itself are well looked after. 'The Ross Bandstand is both a key piece of Edinburgh's cultural history and an important element of our future plans for the city centre. We want all of our parks and facilities, including West Princes Street Gardens and the Ross Bandstand, to be fully enjoyed by our residents and visitors.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh set to get £140,00 refund over Hogmanay wash-out
Three days of outdoor events were wiped out by prolonged high winds between December 29 and 31. Read more: However the city council has still not managed to recover any of the £812,456 it put into last year's four-day Hogmanay festival. An official report for the city council has also revealed that is still to be paid more than £250,000 in fees from last year's Christmas and new year festivals. However councillors have been told that "in excess of £140,000" is expected to be recouped once the insurance claim over the cancellations is settled, while the council said there is a "clear expectation" that it will all the money it is due from various charges, including traffic orders and the rental of key sites including Princes Street Gardens. Edinburgh's Hogmanay fireworks were called off last year. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) The new figures have emerged after it was announced that an overall audience of 2.8 million had been attracted to the city centre over the festive season, which has been valued at £198 million to the economy. Unique Events and Assembly were last May awarded a joint contract to produce the Christmas and new year events for up to five years. While the Christmas festival is expected to be run on a commercial basis, the £812,456 council grant is expected to help pay for the Hogmanay festival, which costs around £3.56 million to stage. Key costs in the budget include £314,000 for a torchlight procession on December 29, £137,000 for a Night Afore Disco Party in Princes Street Gardens on December 30, £890,000 for the Concert in Gardens on Hogmanay and £1.49m for the main street party on Princes Street on Hogmanay. However the fire parade was called off around 5pm, shortly before it was due to set off, due to the wind speeds being recorded in the city centre. The plug was pulled on the other outdoor events and the planned midnight fireworks display just after 3pm on December 30 due to the weather conditions hampering the set up of the main arena and stages across the city centre. All planned indoor events were able to go ahead as planned at venues including the Assembly Rooms, the Assembly Hall, St Giles' Cathedral and the National Museum of Scotland. Councillors have been told that the event organisers had been in 'constant communication with their insurers between December 29 and 31. The report for the council's culture committee said: 'It is anticipated that the council will be able to recover some of the grant funding released to support Edinburgh's Hogmanay. 'Due to the events that did take place and the ongoing insurance claim for the cancelled outdoor 2024/25 events, this figure is not currently available but is expected to be in excess of £140,000. 'The council receives fixed fee rental income from Unique-Assembly for the delivery of Edinburgh's Christmas dependent upon land made available to the successful contract holder. In addition, the council receives significant income from charges. Council charges, including fixed fee income, rentals, hires, licensing, planning permission, building warrants and traffic management orders for the 2024-25 winter festivals 2024/25 represented an income to the council of £668,595 of which £418,700 has currently been paid. 'The council is in ongoing discussions with the contractor in relation to any outstanding payments due with a clear expectation that all relevant contractual sums will be settled. 'The council is aware of the terms of the contract and the potential remedies available to it and will continue to take appropriate steps to recover sums in line with the contract.' A spokesperson for Unique Events and Assembly said: 'There will be a financial return to CEC following completion of the insurance process. 'In light of last year's extreme weather conditions, we will continue to adapt and evolve the four-day Hogmanay events programme to maintain the city's reputation as a premier new year celebration.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Revealed: Edinburgh engulfed by 'frightening' £1.7bn sea of debt
The Herald can reveal that the debt incurred by the City of Edinburgh Council has risen by over £300m since before the pandemic and now exceeds what was actually spent on city services in 2023/24 by nearly half a billion pounds. Concerns about how the capital will run vital services have surfaced as the council admits in one recent analysis that "radical change" is needed "to achieve organisational financial sustainability". Financial papers show that its overall debt, the vast bulk of which is short-term and long-term borrowing has soared by £309.7m (21.8%) since the pre-pandemic year of 2018/29 to stand at £1.732bn. And internal council predictions indicate that end of year debt mountain could soar as high as £2.877bn in 2029/30. The latest level of debt is £450m more than the £1.279bn that the city was spending in 2023/24 on services, which ranges from the provision of education, social work and waste management to the provision and maintenance of housing, roads, libraries and parks. The escalating debt in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city serving over 620,000 people to Edinburgh's 510,000, by contrast, was £242m lower than the £1.85bn it had to spend on services. And the interest payments on borrowing and loans by the Edinburgh council over the six years since the pre-pandemic year of 2018/19 amount to £553m - enough to provide over 2600 settled affordable homes for the homeless who are left to live in temporary accommodation in the capital's housing emergency declared in November 2023. Edinburgh is preparing to implement a tourist taxThat servicing of debt has shot up by £23.4m (30%) in recent years from £76.773m in 2021/22 to £100.212m in 2023/24. The issues have arisen while the council has seen the grant it gets from the Scottish Government rise from £363.757m before the Covid pandemic in 2018/19 to £552.075m in 2023/24. It comes as the minority Labour administration controversially plans to implement a 5% tourist tax on overnight accommodation, capped at seven nights from July, next year. The levy is expected to generate up to £50m annually. Critics have raised concerns about its potential impact on affordability, visitor numbers, and the hospitality sector as the tax will affect hotels, bed and breakfasts, self-catering accommodation and properties listed on platforms like Airbnb. READ MORE: And the council has said it believes that tourist tax will help bankroll its world-famous Hogmanay celebrations. It says it has already suffered a decade of "chronic underfunding" which has necessitated £400 million in savings over ten years - which amounts to around a third of what it was spending on services in 2023/24. Edinburgh-born Alba Party leader and former Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said the state of Edinburgh's finances was "both staggering and frightening". Kenny MacAskill"Scotland's capital city is in danger of drowning in a sea of debt. A visitor levy won't cover it and, in any event, requires to be used for tourist related purposes to justify it. "Nor will it address the homelessness problem that's now endemic and hurting individuals, families and the city. The council administration needs to come clean on the extent of the problem and the Scottish Government needs to assist not stand idly by. Citizens are entitled to no less." The council's own overview of its financial state states that it predicted a funding gap of over £94.2m by 2029/30. And it said there was "therefore a risk that the council is unable to perform financial planning; deliver an annual balanced budget, manage cash flows; and confirm the ongoing adequacy of its reserves, meaning that it is unable to continue to deliver services and implement change in line with strategic be at risk of an adverse external audit opinion". And their auditors in preparing an analysis of the council's financial performance in 2024/25 in February said that financial sustainability "remains a risk" because of the huge funding gap by 2029/30 alone with associated "challenges" including "pressures for frontline services". But a longer term council projection has revealed a darker picture which predicts an average funding black hole of over £22m each year till 2034/34. That is based on a conservative assumption that there would be a 3% annual increase in staffing and other costs and 'flat cash' levels of grant funding settlement from government. And the study warns that this "reinforces the need for radical change, prioritisation and adoption of a prevention-led operating model". Internal service risk assessments show that with the city in the midst of a homelessness emergency, the housing pressures are almost certainly critical with organisational financial sustainability and financial control seen as "likely to be critical". But new end of year debt estimates show that it is expected to escalate to £2.4bn in 2026/27 and 2.877bn in 2029/30. (Image: Damian Shields) Its annual Treasury Management Strategy approved in March 2024, noted that the council had reached the limit in resources for funding for major capital projects by dipping into short-term investments and "requires to undertake significant external borrowing". The council has admitted to its auditors that the levels of borrowing "will bring significant financing risks". Local government finance scrutineers, the Accounts Commission has told the council: "We do not underestimate the major infrastructure challenges facing Edinburgh, in particular around housing and the school estate, but such levels of borrowing bring risks that could impact future financial sustainability." According to council sources, it has borrowed £290m during the 2024/25 financial year alone- with £170m going toward the management of its social housing stock. That came before the council at the end of April suspended its housing policy amidst a homelessness emergency. The unprecedented move saw all available council-owned housing stock immediately redirected toward people experiencing homelessness until at least June 13, 2025. It was part of Edinburgh's plan to get its worsening housing crisis under control, and it comes after Shelter Scotland raised concerns in 2024 over the council 'not showing the desire' to tackle legal breaches in the right to have a roof over your head. A council housing study showed that the council has failed to accommodate people on 3,263 occasions in the past year – a 115% rise from 2023/24. And as of 31 March 2025 there were 970 homeless households in what it admits is unsuitable temporary accommodation. It had approved a programme to purchase up to 270 properties for use as suitable temporary accommodation. The council is now planning to 'build, build, build', but it is at a price. Future projects include the building of 847 new homes, including 387 affordable, energy efficient homes, as part of a Granton area regeneration project. With capital investment of £220.797m planned for 2025/26, it has meant that the council needs to borrow £127.667m. That loan alone over a 30-year period will incur interest of £99.893m, The Herald has learnt. The council's own auditors have already highlighted to them that the scale of the shorter-term budget gap to 2028/29 will mean the council would find it "increasingly difficult to achieve financial balance in future years". "Members will need to make difficult decisions about spending priorities, service levels and income generation whilst ensuring the results of public consultation exercises are taken into account," they said. Auditors highlighted a risk that "operating in a challenging financial context without medium-term financial planning can compromise financial resilience and sustainability." Princes Street (Image: Colin Mearns) The council's latest financial planning says that while it has a "strong track record of balancing our budget, the funding and income we receive has increasingly been insufficient to meet the rising cost and demand for services, such as homelessness and social care costs". The council's own risk assessments for the final quarter of 2025 shows that housing pressures are almost certainly critical with organisational financial sustainability and financial control "likely to be critical". A February overview from Richard Lloyd-Bithell, a finance and procurement director said that the council does not have medium term financial plans "consistent with sustainable service plans". He said: "This will result in sustainable aspirations including transformation being unobtainable." Edinburgh set ambitious targets and strategies for sustainable development, including achieving net zero emissions by 2030 and a climate-ready future. The City Plan 2030 guides future development, emphasizing green spaces, climate action, and sustainable practices. This plan aims to create sustainable neighbourhoods, reduce carbon emissions, and protect and enhance the city's natural spaces. Its transformation strategy has a vision of providing an "exceptional city centre that is for all, a place for people to live, work, visit and play". "Finance must support services to create sustainable plans and proposals to deliver services within an affordable financial envelope," said Mr Lloyd-Bithell. "Finance must provide reports and effective challenge to hold service managers to account to ensure services do not overspend their agreed budgets." The Liberal Democrats' Edinburgh council group leader Ed Thornley said the state of the city finances "show there is a titanic gulf between what the SNP have provided and what councils say they actually need to maintain basic local functions". Ed Thornley (Image: Lib Dems) He said: "Local authorities have had a raw deal from the SNP over many years and that has had a knock-on impact on the provision of vital local functions. "The SNP have demanded councils do more with less. As a result, we have ended up with school cuts, bin strikes and shortages of elderly care packages. "Local government deserves long-term central government funding deals which adequately meet its needs and provide locally delivered public services. That is what people rightly expect.' The Scottish Government said individual local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of their affordable borrowing, having regard to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's Prudential Code, which has been given legislative backing. They said that it was for each local authority to have "effective arrangements" in place to ensure that capital expenditure and investment plans are "affordable and proportionate and that all external borrowing and other long-term liabilities are within prudent and sustainable levels". A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'In 2025-26, City of Edinburgh Council will receive over £1 billion to support day to day services, which equates to an extra £60 million or an additional 5.9% compared to 2024-25. "Local authorities are required by law to ensure borrowing is affordable, prudent and sustainable. Regulations require a local authority to set an authorised limit for external debt." Edinburgh council's finance and resource convener Mandy Watt accepted that savings were needed and more revenues were required and said: "While Edinburgh has a long track record of strong financial management and delivering a balanced budget year after year, the challenges are increasing."
Daily Record
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Easy and tasty three ingredient shortbread recipe ready in just over half an hour
Shortbread is a beloved Scottish treat said to date back to Mary Queen of Scots, and a simple three-ingredient recipe now makes it easy to enjoy year-round Shortbread has long been a cherished part of Scottish heritage, with its buttery, crumbly texture beloved for generations. Legend even credits Mary Queen of Scots with its creation, and it remains a staple of Hogmanay celebrations to this day. But there's no rule saying you can't enjoy it in the summer, too, and now, an easy homemade recipe could help you do just that. Culinary experts at Taste of Home have shared a fuss-free recipe requiring just three simple ingredients and a little over half an hour of your time. Better still, the recipe yields four dozen shortbread fingers, perfect for sharing, or not. Submitted by Rose Mabee from the town of Selkirk in Manitoba, Canada (a fitting name for a Scottish-inspired bake), the recipe calls for: 500ml of softened butter 250ml of packed brown sugar Between 500g and 600g of all-purpose flour To make it, preheat your oven to 180°C and cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 450g of flour and mix well. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for five minutes, gradually adding the rest of the flour until you have a soft, workable dough. Roll it out to a half-inch thickness and cut into strips, 3 inches by 1 inch is ideal, or get creative with circles or triangles. Prick each piece with a fork, place them an inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden. Cool before serving, if you can keep any hands off them, and enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee. If you're feeling adventurous and want to add a twist to the classic, food creator Dee, of Dee & Sweets, has turned heads with her indulgent cinnamon roll version of shortbread. The bars have all the buttery richness of a traditional shortbread base, layered with a sweet cinnamon filling and topped with vanilla frosting. Dee's creation has quickly become a favourite among foodies for its clever combination of comforting flavours and beautiful presentation. Cinnamon roll shortbread recipe: For the crust: 225g butter, softened 150g caster sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 312g all-purpose flour ¼ tsp salt 1 tbsp demerara sugar For the filling: 55g butter, softened 100g brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract For the frosting: 55g cream cheese 112g butter 125g icing sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract Start by preheating your oven to 175°C and lining a 9×9 inch baking tin with greaseproof paper. Cream together the butter and sugar for the crust until light and fluffy, then mix in the vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt, then add to the wet mixture in stages, mixing until just combined. Press two-thirds of the dough into the tin, saving the rest for later, and chill the base for 15 to 30 minutes. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes until just turning golden and set it aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, mix the filling ingredients into a soft spread. Spoon the cinnamon mixture over the base and spread evenly. Roll out the reserved dough and tear into flat clusters, loosely placing them on top to create a lid. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top and bake again for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. While it cools, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Spread over the bars once they've cooled slightly, slice into squares, and serve. Whether you stick to the classic or try the cinnamon twist, shortbread remains a timeless treat that proves some traditions never go out of style.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Tourist tax targeted as Edinburgh festivals raise 'stagnation' fears
She suggested some were still in a 'precarious' position despite securing new long-term Scottish Government funding earlier this year. Read more: In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Ms Anderson suggested that Edinburgh's proposed new visitor levy - which will be introduced just before next year's summer festivals - was a 'huge opportunity' to help event organisers move from 'survival mode to thriving". Ms Anderson is the third director of the organisation Festivals Edinburgh, which was launched in 2007 to help secure the capital's status as the world's leading 'festival city". Lori Anderson is the director of Festivals Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) Ms Anderson works with 11 of the city's annual festivals, including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, the Tattoo, Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, and the city's celebrations of jazz, film, visual art, science, storytelling, children's entertainment and books. Ms Anderson revealed that the 'scale and ambition' of some festival programmes had already had to be reduced as a result of lower-than-hoped-for Scottish Government funding, particularly for this year's events. Lori Anderson is director of Festivals Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) She suggested that the new Scottish Government funding deals announced by its arts agency, Creative Scotland, in January had not reversed the impact of prolonged standstill funding, which dated back as far as the 2008 global financial crash. Ms Anderson said: 'Edinburgh's festivals are finally in a more stable position after been in crisis mode for a good few years now with significant budget cuts, the pandemic and negotiating Brexit. 'But most of the festivals did not get as much as they wanted for their multi-year funding programmes and the timing of the announcement was much later than expected, which is making 2025 a difficult year. A number of festivals have had to adjust their scale and ambition of their programmes. The Edinburgh International Book Festival relocated last year to a new home at the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Picture: Edinburgh International Book Festival 'Looking ahead to the future, they are really at a bit of a crossroads now. They have a bit of stability at the moment, but their funding is always precarious and always a challenge.' The Scottish Government committed an additional £40m for Creative Scotland's multi-year funding programme, however this is being rolled out over two years. The Edinburgh International Festival's annual funding has increased from £2.3m to £3.25m this year, with a further £1m increase to come in 2026-27. The book festival's annual funding will has gone up from £306,000 to £520,000 this year and will rise a further £160,000 next year, while the art festival's funding is going up from £100,000 to £130,000 then £170,000 over the same period. Two of the city's most high-profile festivals, the Fringe and Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival, do not have long-term funding from the Scottish Government or Creative Scotland. Texan rope performer 'Duke Loopin' on the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Picture: Gordon Terris Ms Anderson added: 'Creative Scotland's funding announcement was really welcome, but that doesn't mean that everyone is really settled now. 'The fire-fighting has subdued a bit and it has provided a bit of stability, but some of the festivals are still in quite a precarious position. The Edinburgh International Film Festival has been running since 1947. 'I think the two directions the festivals could go in from this crossroads moment are either stagnation or ambition. 'There are some opportunities ahead which mean they can start to think more about their future ambitions now, a couple of years ahead of their 80th anniversary. Lori Anderson is director of Festivals Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'We don't want to see the stagnation of the festivals. We want to see them thrive and not just be in survival mode.' Edinburgh's long-planned visitor levy, which is also known as a 'tourist tax,' will be introduced by the city council just days before the main summer festival season gets underway in 2026. Anyone booking accommodation from October 1 will be liable to pay the new five per cent levy, which will be capped for visits of up to five nights. The council, which has predicted the new levy will raise up to £50m a year by 2028, and has pledged that it will be 'reinvested directly into initiatives that benefit residents and enhance visitor experiences.' Ms Anderson described the visitor levy as a 'really exciting opportunity' to secure the future of the festivals. But she warned there was a risk of the city 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' if event organisers and their artists had to pay the extra charge but did not see it reinvested in the festivals. Ms Anderson said: 'The festivals are really entrepreneurial when it comes to looking at creative ways to raise income and being financially sustainable. 'The big challenge for them at the moment is around the cost of doing business in Edinburgh. 'It is an expensive place to live, work and visit and to put on a festival. In particular, there are very high accommodation costs at the moment. 'Visitors, performers and festivals that support the accommodation costs of their artists will have to pay the visitor levy when it comes in. 'But I think it's actually a really exciting opportunity. It's a huge moment for Edinburgh to think holistically and have significant investment across the whole city. It's a moment to be looking forward to and planning for. 'We would hope that, given the contribution that the festivals make to the city, some of the visitor levy income would come back to them, otherwise it would just be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.' Under the council's current spending plans, 35% of the money raised via the levy will be ringfenced for culture, heritage and events, although detailed proposals have not yet been agreed by councillors. Ms Anderson said: 'A lot of the festivals are keen to look at investing in their programmes. It could make a huge difference to enable longer-term planning. 'But there is also a huge opportunity to take a strategic approach to the whole city. 'We could see some really exciting projects to the fore to improve infrastructure and connectivity around the city and really help to invest in our cultural organisations, venues and attractions. There's lots to be looking forward to there.' Ms Anderson said the long-term funding secured by many of Edinburgh's festivals earlier this year needed to be the 'start of a new conversation' about how they are supported by the Scottish and UK governments, and the city council. She added: 'Edinburgh's festivals make a huge contribution socially, culturally and economically to Edinburgh, Scotland and the UK. We need to value them and support them with the resources that are needed to maintain and develop them. 'The festivals are second only in scale to an Olympic Games. You have to think about the support and resources are put into an Olympic Games. The festivals have survived for nearly 80 years. They're something that the city, Scotland and the whole of the UK should be incredibly proud of. They're a huge asset, which makes a really significant social, economic and cultural contribution. 'They are joyful, they are inspirational, they are diverse, they happen all year round and they change year-on-year. 'We want to see them supported in order to take forward their ambitions, to continue to represent Scotland and be something that we are incredibly proud of.'
