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The team at Indigo are excited to be involved in the planning of an iconic event on our doorstep in North and South Queensferry next year. The Forth Bridges Festival 2014 will be a 10 day programme of events in honour of the Forth Road Bridge’s 50th birthday and will be a signature event in the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2014.
The Festival is being delivered through a partnership between the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) and Queensferry Ambition, and will run from 4th to 13th September 2014, featuring a varied programme of events on and around the Forth Bridges. The cost of the festival will be met by a combination of ticket sales, corporate sponsorship and public funding.
Thousands of visitors and the local community will be invited onto the Bridge on Sunday 7 September 2014 to witness an extravaganza of transport and Scottish music parade across the structure. This will be launched by the reunion show of the Golden Lions Scottish Infantry Parachute Display Team. The Parade will then be followed by a flotilla of boats gathering in the Forth and a special air display will perform overhead.
Other highlights include a torchlight procession across the Road Bridge, a Forth Bridges art trail, and an attempt to set a world record for the largest ever sit-down lunch.
The festival will conclude on Saturday 13th September 2014 with a major fireworks display promising a unique spectacle for onlookers on either side of the Forth.
In the weeks leading up to the festival up to 2,014 members of the public will be given a one-off opportunity to climb to the top of the Forth Road Bridge’s main tower.
Full details of the festival programme and the process for booking tickets are expected to be announced in June 2013. In the meantime you can follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter to get real time updates from the festival organisers. You can also sign up to the mailing list at www.forthbridgesfestival.com
The festival is being supported by local and national organisations who commented on the announcement that the Forth Bridges Festival had been selected as a signature event in the Year of Homecoming 2014;
Caroline Packman, Homecoming Scotland 2014 Director, said: “2014 promises to be a very exciting year for Scotland where we can celebrate all that’s great about our country and place the spotlight on our greatest assets. We are delighted to be working with the Forth Bridges Festival as part of the ever-extending Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme. The plans outlined to celebrate the Forth Road Bridge’s 50th birthday present a fantastic opportunity for both visitors and locals to enjoy what’s set to be a great event.”
FETA Convener Tony Martin said: “The Forth Road Bridge’s 50th birthday is a milestone well worth celebrating.
“At FETA we’re incredibly proud to be the custodians of Scotland’s largest man-made structure and most important transport link. Nowadays it can be easy to take the bridge for granted, but everyone of a certain age knows what a huge difference it has made to the lives of people living and doing business in the East of Scotland since 1964. FETA is delighted to be working in partnership with local communities, the Scottish Government and public bodies on either side of the Forth – together we are committed to delivering a truly memorable celebration.”
Malcolm Brown, Chair of Queensferry Ambition said, “The Forth Bridges are an iconic symbol of the Queensferry communities. They can be viewed as a gateway to the Highlands, Edinburgh or to literally every other part of Scotland. Therefore it is appropriate that the Forth Bridges Festival will form a key element of Homecoming 2014 and will give local communities, businesses and visitors a number of great opportunities to join in the celebrations.”
Keith Giblett, Chair of Queensferry & District Community Council, said: “Queensferry & District Community Council are pleased to be invited by FETA and Queensferry Ambition, event partners, to work with them in the coming months delivering a memorable Forth Bridges Festival.”
North Queensferry Community Council Vice-Chairman Iain Mitchell said: "This promises to be quite a party, and we are keen to ensure that the local community in North Queesferry not only benefits from the celebrations, but also is fully consulted in the planning of them. We look forward to what we hope will be a really memorable event for both the local community and those coming from farther afield."
