Edinburgh Hogmanay revellers stuck in crushed queues for TWO HOURS amid torrential downpours
THOUSANDS of people flocked to Edinburgh city centre last night to attend the traditional Hogmanay celebrations.
The celebrations returned to the city at the first street party and fireworks extravaganza in three years.
Some 30,000 saw in 2023 at the massive bash, which was last held in 2019 after it was cancelled as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
But not everyone that attended the event had a happy celebration.
Revellers hit out at event organisers after they were stuck in crushed queues for over two hours in torrential rain.
Many also complained that it was "poorly organised", with "not enough crowd control" and even had an "appalling DJ".
After queuing for hours in the wet Edinburgh weather, the gates opened 20 minutes later than planned at 8.20pm instead of 8pm.
And punters claimed that a lack of entertainment meant they were left "standing around" waiting for midnight while music played on loudspeakers.
One person took to TikTok to show the crushed crowd standing in the city centre holding umbrellas.
While another showed the huge queue that they had to join to get into the festivities.
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In the clip, they said: "We've literally been walking for ten minutes, maybe? It's the longest queue I've ever seen in my entire life.
"It keeps going on, and on, and on, and on. I just spoke to a guy back there and he's been in the queue for an hour.
"An hour he's been waiting and he's still at least an hour away - so that's two hours. If we join the end of the queue it'll be three hours.
"It's 9:45pm - we're not going to make Hogmanay if that's the craic! This is absolutely mental."
Others took to Twitter to hit out at organisers- with one person calling it "dangerous" after another added that it "wasn't safe".
One user wrote: "Edinburgh Hogmanay very poor organisation. Bars ran out of beer. No crowd control other than a few disinterested stewards. #notnextyear"
Another added: "Happy New Year. Gotta say though the organisation wasn’t the best @edhogmanay - queues everywhere to get into the gardens was, likely because folk were queueing up for a pointless LED bangle. And forget it if you wanted a drink..But Pet Shop Boys saved it."
Someone else posted: "Edinburgh Hogmanay Street party was an absolute shambles.
"Lack of crowd control and an appalling DJ. Organisers are lucky there was no major incidents, didn't feel safe at all".
A fourth wrote: "Street Party @edinburgh, absolute to dangerous, to many people and not enough crowd control, did not felt safe we left after half an hour before horrifying things could/would happen".
And a fifth chimed in: "brought the family for the first time to Edinburgh to experience the world famous New Year…
"Just left the street party for fear that we and our boys were going to be crushed in the crowd, absolutely shocking and harrowing scenes tonight".
While a user commented: "family visiting from Australia, looking forward to a memorable Scottish Hogmanay and left as they where concerned for their safety, crushing, poorly organised shambles."
Celebrations kicked off with the night afore party, which was headlined by popstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor with special guests Altered Images.
The Pet Shop Boys then headlined the concert in the gardens in Princes Street Gardens.
Fireworks then lifted off every hour between 9pm and 11pm, as they counted down to the traditional midnight display.
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