FOUR of the biggest names in Scottish music are to accompany the Scottish capital's Hogmanay firework display.
But organisers are keeping the identities of the artists a closely guarded secret until midnight on the 31st, and promised a spectacular show to music.
The five-minute display from Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill will be choreographed to a mix of four contemporary Scottish music tracks which will be broadcast through the Street Party, Keilidh and Concert in the Gardens.
Organisers Edinburgh City Council and Unique Events said the music tracks are by four of Scotland's biggest artists who have all performed at Edinburgh's Hogmanay over the 20 years of the event.
The midnight firework display, which will be preceded by countdown teaser fireworks at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm, involves 17,153 "shots" from 45 locations spread around Edinburgh Castle and West Princes Street Gardens.
More than 20 tonnes of equipment and six miles of cables and wires take a team of 14 people six days to set up on site. The castle is cleared within three hours after the display so it can open to the public on New Year's Day.
Pete Irvine, artistic director of Edinburgh's Hogmanay, said: "Every year we offer something new and exciting to our guests at Edinburgh's Hogmanay and I am thrilled that for the first time our spectacular midnight fireworks will be set to music. What a great way to welcome 2013."
Steve Cardownie, festivals and events champion for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: "Our world-famous fireworks display will provide a fitting and dramatic finale to 2012 – for the thousands partying in the street and the millions watching on TV."
He said Edinburgh's Hogmanay promises to kick off 2013 in some style.
The three-day festival starts with a torchlight procession on Sunday December 30, and continues with the Street Party and Concert in the Gardens on Monday, December 31 where revellers will enjoy music from Simple Minds, The View, The Maccabees, Reverend and the Makers, Admiral Fallow and Lau.
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