Edinburgh’s Hogmanay organisers have announced the full line up for the new First Footin’ event on New Year's Day 2023. The free music trail through fourteen Old and New Town venues will feature performances by 25 Scottish musicians from indie, folk, jazz, RnB and hip hop worlds.
The afternoon of city centre gigs includes artists Callum Beattie, Roseanne Reid, Withered Hand, Swim School and Stina Marie Claire performing in bars, cafes and event spaces across the city from Rose Street to the Grassmarket, Greyfriars Kirk to The Huxley.
William Burdett-Coutts and Penny Dougherty, Directors of UniqueAssembly who produce Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said “Our new First Footin’ celebrations echo the historic Scottish tradition of First Footing – welcoming strangers across the threshold on New Year’s Day to bring good fortune for the year ahead. We’ve invited some of Scotland’s best emerging music acts to kick start 2023 and we welcome friends and strangers alike to come First Footin’ with us, to discover something new or different and explore the city – all for free.”
As well as the previously announced Callum Beattie and Roseanne Reid, revellers on the First Footin’ trail can also take in emerging Edinburgh band Swim School (see video above) whose recent single "Kill You" has been getting much BBC Radio 1 air time and was BBC Scotland’s track of the week.
There will also be solo sets from indie-rock songwriter Stina Marie Claire (Honeyblood solo) and Scottish music cult figure Withered Hand (solo acoustic set); Glasgow based sonic aggressors Dead Pony; Highland singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-Macleod; and the ethereal- voiced Siobhan Wilson.
Withered Hand is the creative output of Edinburgh-based musician Dan Willson, who has released two widely acclaimed albums, New Gods (2014) and Good News (2009) and several lo-fi EPs and has toured extensively, both solo and with his band, with the likes of King Creosote, Kris Drever, James Yorkston, Scott Hutchison/Frightened Rabbit.
Stina Marie Claire is the newest solo moniker for indie-rock songwriter Honeyblood. Stina has released three albums, each Nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award. Looking ahead to the First Footin’ music trail, Stina Marie Claire said: “As a native to Edinburgh it is always my pleasure to be asked to perform at Hogmanay. What a perfect way to start 2023!”
In addition to these headline acts, audiences can enjoy performances from Edinburgh-born rapper and previous SAMA nominee Billy Got Waves; seasoned modern folk singer Annie Booth; Afrobeat, soul, gospel and R&B singer and 2022 SAY Award nominee Aiitee; 2022 Sound of Young Scotland Award winner Berta Kennedy; Glasgow born singer-songwriter Michael McGovern; gig-scene regular Conor Fyfe; and Edinburgh musician Dennis Kennedy.
Venues participating in the First Footin’ music trail include The Auld Hundred, Rose Street; The Black Bull, Grassmarket; The Boozy Cow, Frederick Street; Cold Town House, Grassmarket; Copper Blossom, George Street; Element, Rose Street; Eve, Virgin Edinburgh, Cowgate; Greyfriars Hall, Virgin Edinburgh, Cowgate; Greyfriars Kirk, Candlemaker Row; KOMYUNITI, Yotel Edinburgh, Queen Street; The Huxley, Rutland Street; Rainy Hall, New College, The Mound and The Scottish Cafe at Scottish National Gallery, The Mound.
First Footin’ is supported by the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and produced in partnership with Essential Edinburgh.
The First Footin’ music trail will lead into Edinburgh’s Hogmanay climax event, Final Fling. Headliners Tide Lines will be joined by special guests Elephant Sessions and Edinburgh’s own Hamish Hawk in an all-Scottish line-up at the outdoor concert on Sunday 1 January 2023.
Read more on the Final Fling concert.
For younger and family audiences, the free and unticketed Edinburgh’s Sprogmanay returns to the National Museum of Scotland. Families can drop in to enjoy a programme of live music, comedy, magic and arts and crafts in addition to the National Museum’s galleries which are packed with fascinating exhibits.
The Sprogmanay Family Ceilidh with the Edinburgh Ceilidh Club takes place only a short walk from the museum at Assembly Roxy offering a free afternoon of ceilidh dancing in a fun, relaxed ‘have-a-go’ environment suitable for all levels of experience.
As previously announced the Torchlight Procession has been dropped from this year's official Hogmanay programme.