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Edinburgh Reporter
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Get ready for Edinburgh Festival Carnival
Edinburgh Festival Carnival takes place on Sunday 13 July 2025 in the heart of the city. This is billed as Edinburgh's biggest free multicultural celebration. With a dazzling mix of music, dance, costume, and colour, this vibrant event brings together local and international artists to share the rich cultural traditions that make Edinburgh a truly global city. Carnival stands as a powerful celebration of unity, creativity, and mutual respect. It is a space where people from all walks of life, particularly those who are underrepresented or marginalised, can take part, share their heritage, and connect through the joy of performance. From 1pm on Sunday 13 July, 750 local and international performers will parade through West Princes Street Gardens with music, dance, costumes, and puppets. This year's event features three parades: 1pm: Local, national and international community groups perform as part of The World in One City 3pm: Edinburgh Chinese Art & Culture 5pm: Latin American Community Association of Edinburgh (LACAE) Hosted by actor, writer and comedian, Sanjay Largo, the Ross Bandstand programme opens at 2pm with Peruvian rhythms from Edinburgh's Cumbiatones, followed by reggae, afro and Latin sounds from Glasgow four-piece band Samson Sounds at 4pm. The programme closes with Soca and Caribbean rhythms from Scrappy Sinon & Tropical Storm Band at 6pm. The afternoon also features sets from DJ Dynamite. Between 1pm and 5pm, there will also be two zones with a full programme of dancing, drumming and circus performances. On Sunday 6 July, the Edinburgh Youth Carnival takes place at Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre from 1-5pm. Edinburgh Festival Carnival is produced by Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, with a dedicated Carnival team headed up by Giles Agis, Carnival & Communities Manager. Cllr. Jason Rust, Chair of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival said: 'The Edinburgh Festival Carnival returns this year and it's fantastic to see local communities and international artists coming together to create an awe-inspiring spectacle in the city centre. This free event is perfect for all family, and I am proud of all the hard work of the team to bring Carnival to Edinburgh's city centre.' Giles Agis, Carnival & Communities Manager said: 'The Edinburgh Festival Carnival brings people together in joyful defiance of those who would rather see us divided. The Carnival is a space where Edinburgh's diverse communities, many of whom face barriers to the arts, can unite to celebrate culture, creativity, and solidarity. It's more than a show; it's a statement of belonging.' Edinburgh Festival Carnival 2023 took place in West Princes Street Gardens PHOTO ©2023 Martin McAdam Edinburgh Festival Carnival 2023 took place in West Princes Street Gardens PHOTO ©2023 The Edinburgh Reporter Edinburgh Festival Carnival 2023 took place in West Princes Street Gardens PHOTO ©2023 The Edinburgh Reporter Edinburgh Festival Carnival Launch, Princes' Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 7th July 2022 © 2022 J.L. Preece Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Reporter
Council reduces number of vehicles hired to enter LEZ
When The City of Edinburgh Council set up the Low Emission Zone in June 2024, a number of council-owned vehicles did not comply with the new regulations. The 41 vehicles, which amounted to 3.5% of the council fleet, and which for example included buses fitted with special lifts for those in wheelchairs, had to be replaced with hired vehicles. The council now says that replacement vehicles have been ordered to replace all 41, but that the specialist nature of the vehicles meant that it would take a longer time to obtain delivery as they were made to order. The council has managed to replace 32 of the vehicles with only 9 left which are still on hire. In addition to this group there are 22 other vehicles which do not comply with the LEZ requirements, but which do not require to access the city centre. The Transport Convener said this morning that it is the council's intention to make their entire fleet compliant within the financial year. Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, Transport and Environment Convener, said:'Later on this year, I'll be pleased to report that The City of Edinburgh Council's entire fleet is compliant with the LEZ.' The council was asked to supply the cost of hiring vehicles to comply with the LEZ restrictions during the last year. The total cost for the period from 1 August 2024 to date is £308,232. The LEZ came into effect on 1 June 2024. Enforcement of the LEZ in Edinburgh began in June 2024 PHOTO ©2023 The Edinburgh Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
A peaceful protest on Ashley Terrace – but with a serious message
On Wednesday evening locals took to the streets in a peaceful protest drawing attention to the amount of traffic, the speed of the traffic and the lack of pedestrian crossings. An 80-year-old woman was seriously injured at the junction of Ashley Terrace on 28 April. Cllr Christopher Cowdy said to The Edinburgh Reporter: 'The biggest problem is lack of resources in the council. So when I came here in 2022 there was already a pedestrian crossing programme. There were hundreds of crossings being promised. But within a year, when I was on the Transport Committee that had already run over two years late, because they had bitten off more than they could chew, they said, and they were lacking in resources. 'So I know that the city council is short of money, and it's running on a budget deficit about £50 million a year, and trying and trying to make that up, and trying to get the resources to provide all of the crossings for all of the schools across the entire city is very difficult.' David Hunter of Living Streets said: 'I think it's fantastic to see. I think pedestrians often don't kick up as much of a fuss as maybe other groups do, so it's great to see it mobilised. 'There must be quite a strength of feeling to have this amount of support. 'But of course there has been a really serious injury to an old lady here. You can see the speed, some of this traffic's going at. I think we really need a strategy for the whole city. I would like to see more money going into these kind of routine improvements, particularly around schools, and I think it would get a lot of public support.' Despite the council promising crossings three years ago nothing has happened, although Cllr Stephen Jenkinson the Transport Convener has said that 'Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Transport and Environment 'pedestrian safety across the city is a priority' He said: 'I fully understand the safety concerns raised by the community in relation to the junction at Ashley Terrace and Harrison Gardens, particularly given the recent road traffic accident which took place there. 'As outlined in the Road Safety Delivery Plan, there are plans in place for two footpath build-outs on Ashley Terrace. Unfortunately, we have experienced some delays due to necessary design revisions and coordination with other services. 'In relation to Ashley Terrace, the installation of a build-out directly in front of the school entrance requires the relocation of a nearby bin hub. This is being progressed through a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) by the Waste team, and we are awaiting further updates from them.' Like this: Like Related
