Organizers may scrap Hogmanay tickets

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The sagging popularity of Edinburgh, Scotland's world-famous Hogmanay New Year's celebrations had organizers considering not charging for the event.

Steve Cardownie said Sunday the street party had become a victim of its own success with revelers being lured to "copycat" celebrations elsewhere in the city, The Scotsman reported Monday.

In 1997, an estimated 300,000 people crammed into the city center for the event, but just about 100,000 opted to shell out money for tickets this year.

"At one time, the street party was the only one of its kind in the UK, but it has now been replicated in cities like Newcastle, Liverpool and Glasgow so people aren't coming to Edinburgh in the vast numbers they did in previous years," Cardownie said.

"That means we might not need the enclosed spaces and the expense of stewarding, which could also allow us to get rid of charging people for tickets."

The city council also is planning to move part of the evening indoors so the event is less dependent on good weather, The Independent reported.