Texas to headline Edinburgh's Hogmanay

Texas have been unveiled as the headliners for this year's Hogmanay concert in Edinburgh.

The band are returning to the world-famous event for the third time, having last performed at the event in 2005. The band announced their new year slot on stage on Sunday night in Glasgow.

The Hogmanay event, now with capacity for 45,000 revellers, will be hosted by comedian Susie McCabe and the band will be joined by Edinburgh-born Callum Beattie.

This year's Hogmanay festival will also start a day earlier, and expand beyond the city centre.

Texas will perform a set covering many of their biggest hits of the last decades, including I Don’t Want a Lover, Say What You Want and Inner Smile.

Their headline set will be punctuated by fireworks from Edinburgh Castle at midnight, marking the start of 2025.

Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri said she was looking forward to being in Edinburgh for Hogmanay.

She told BBC Scotland News there was something "very special and romantic" about performing against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.

"It feels quite magical, it's a bit like a fairytale - there's no better backdrop."

It would be different to Spiteri's average Hogmanay, which is usually spent at home she said.

If she's not in Scotland, sometimes the people the singer is seeing in the new year with struggled to understand the Scottish traditions.

Spiteri said her "big thing" at new year was getting the right person to first foot her when at home: "If I'm not in Scotland, everybody else looks at me like I'm a lunatic - because I'm trying to get someone out the door just before the bells, handing them bits of coal and a bottle of whisky.

"People are like, 'what are you doing?'."

The band’s performance was confirmed alongside an expanded Hogmanay festival programme which will feature an earlier start date, new events and a larger capacity for the annual street party.

Organisers Unique Events and Assembly Festival, who secured a new deal to run the festival for another five years earlier this year, said it would move outside the city centre for the first time, with live music and family events as part of the First Footin’ and Sprogmanay programmes.

Meanwhile, a new live music stage will be set up inside the main arena, with 45,000 revellers able to experience the street party, up from 40,000 last year.

The festival will also kick off one day earlier, on 29 December, running until New Year’s Day.

City of Edinburgh Council's Val Walker said it was wonderful to welcome the band back to the capital's world-renowned celebration.

She continued: "I’m delighted that this year's Concert in the Gardens has such a strong Scottish line up.

"It promises to be a fantastic party to welcome 2025, where gig-goers will have unequalled views of midnight fireworks over Edinburgh Castle.

“Edinburgh will continue to be the place to welcome in the new year and I look forward to the full Hogmanay programme being unveiled.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now, with details of the full programme due to be published in the next few weeks.