BBC to screen Inverness Hogmanay highlight.

The Highland Council has revealed that Inverness has been chosen by BBC Scotland to sing Auld Lang Syne to the nation at The Red Hot Highland Fling Hogmanay Party.

It is expected that up to 10,000 revellers in Northern Meeting Park Arena will take part in the sing-a-long which will start immediately following the conclusion of the fireworks display over Inverness Cathedral to mark the arrival of 2014. The plan is for the crowd to be filmed singing the first two verses of the song, which will be recorded and  sent by satellite for screening at the conclusion of the fireworks display in Edinburgh.

The 2013 Hogmanay celebrations in Inverness will commence with The Wee Hot Highland Fling celebrations between Noon and 3pm. Centred around Inverness Town House and Inverness High Street; this year’s Wee Fling will feature an assortment of street performers, musicians and the Inverness Youth Pipe Band.

The evening celebrations will start at the unusual time of 8.14pm (or 20:14) with Inverness taking part in a simultaneous display of Fireworks and Lights to mark the start of the countdown to Homecoming Scotland 2014. The Inverness Display will take place over Inverness Castle and spectators heading along the riverside to the Hogmanay Show are being urged not to forget their cameras. The gates at Northern Meeting Park Arena will open at 8.30pm and Comedian Craig Hill will host The Red Hot Highland Fling. 

Inverness based all-female indie-pop band Dorec-a-belle have been given the honour of getting proceedings underway and they will be followed by the premiere screening of the new Homecoming Scotland 2014 film. Making a welcome return to headline the show at 10pm will be The Red Hot Chilli Pipers and taking the crowd into 2014 and the singing of Auld Lange Syne will be multi-award winning folk-rock band Skerryvore.

Spectators are reminded that no tickets are required for The Red Hot Highland Fling which is a free show sponsored by the Inverness Common Good Fund. Spectators are asked not to try to bring food or drink to the concert as there will be food, drink and bar facilities on site and security checks will be taking place. There are spaces for disabled parking only on the site and all other drivers are asked to use the city centre car parks.