Edinburgh’s Christmas 2018 kicked off last weekend, sprinkling festive magic over Scotland’s capital. The spectacular annual winter event runs until 5 January 2019 and is one of the most popular Christmas celebrations in the UK.
Edinburgh’s Christmas in full swing – Princes Street Gardens © Edinburgh’s Christmas
World-class attractions
Edinburgh’s Christmas Markets are the most popular attraction of the winter spectacular – renowned around the world, they have also topped recent lists of the best Christmas markets in the UK.
The outdoor elliptical ice rink in St. Andrew’s Square is the only one of its kind in the UK, and the second most popular attraction.
Discounts for Edinburgh residents
Edinburgh’s international visitors to the magical winter festival are joined by thousands of locals – and anyone with an Edinburgh postcode can enjoy at 20% discount on selected attractions and shows. Last year, over 142,000 locals snapped up tickets – were you one of them?
A Christmas gift for Edinburgh’s economy
The winter festival has become an integral part of the capital’s tourism offering, and an important contribution to the local economy.
Edinburgh’s Christmas event producers, Underbelly, last week announced record-breaking findings from the 2017 event, following research undertaken by BOP Consulting.* They found:
- Visitors from 47 different countries attended last year’s celebrations
- A record-breaking 781,520 tickets were bought for Edinburgh’s Christmas 2017 rides, attractions and shows
- The economic impact boosted Edinburgh with an additional output of £113.2m – equating to 2,260 full time jobs in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh’s Christmas is one of the most beneficial single events for the city year round
- Retail sales during the Christmas period bucked national trends, with a growth of 3.1%
Tickets are on sale now!
You can find out more about Edinburgh’s Christmas 2018 at www.edinburghschristmas.com – tickets for all attractions and events are on sale now.
We’d love to hear your top tips for enjoying Edinburgh’s Christmas – share them with us at @AtHomeInEdinburgh on Facebook or on Twitter at @AtHomeInEdin!
* Full facts and figures can be found here.