A HUGE free outdoor street theatre spectacular is to be staged on New Year's Day under an expansion of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations.

The organisers of the capital's winter festivals have been awarded almost £250,000 from the Scottish Government for a new dance, drama and live music spectacular in George Street.

The First Feet event, which is expected to be staged around the world after its premiere in Edinburgh next year, is expected to be the biggest New Year's Day event ever held in the city.

Performers from across Scotland are expected to take part in a two-hour evening show which will feature sound and lighting installations running the length of George Street, aerial performance above the heads of the audience and fireworks.

City of Edinburgh Council has been under fire for scaling back the number of events organised on New Year's Day in recent years.

George Street already hosts a huge open-air Night Afore carnival on 30th December, attracting crowds of up to 40,000.

The Hogmanay programme has been expanded for next year after a grant was secured through the Scottish Government's new festivals Expo Fund.

The First Feet project is being masterminded by the council's winter festivals unit and two theatre companies, Boilerhouse and Iron-Oxide, which specialise in large-scale outdoor productions.

Earlier this month it was announced that £250,000 had been secured through the Expo Fund for the world premiere of a major new Scottish Opera production at this year's Edinburgh International Festival.

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