Things are about to get a lot brighter for Aberdeen – spectacularly so.
Or should that be Spectra-cularly with the grey Granite City playing host to Scotland’s Festival of Light bursting into glorious, full technicolour life this weekend?
From this Thursday, city landmarks and iconic buildings will be a blaze of light as they play host to eye-catching installations and projects, with Union Terrace Gardens once again the epicentre of the festival.
One of the most impressive aspects of Spectra, though, will not be the amazing artworks but the visitors packing into the city centre in their thousands.
It’s not the light displays that will bring Aberdeen to life, it’s the people.
And Spectra will deliver them. As will the other festivals and events cementing Aberdeen’s reputation as a leading city of culture in the UK.
In the mix in coming months are big set pieces, like Nuart Aberdeen with its transformational murals, and the return of the Aberdeen Comedy Festival that will put a smile on everyone’s faces.
Spectra just one of many Aberdeen festivals to breathe life into city
Then there’s the jazz festival, the DanceMoves festival, the inaugural Aberdeen Beer Festival, and even the celebration of the city’s cuisine with Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks.
Let’s not forget the biggest one of all for 2025 – The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen in July. Trust me, you will be blown away by the scale and exhilarating excitement that will arrive along with this magnificent fleet and the joyful crews.
Underlying all of this, though, is the burgeoning sector that will help street Aberdeen out of its current doldrums and into the bright future we all want to see.
Arts and culture underpin these big set-piece events but also are woven into an ever-enriching tapestry that runs through the city all year round, like a golden thread.
Theatre, dance, music, comedy, heritage and the art of creating fine food and drink are all things that lift a city from so-so to so fantastic you’d be a fool to miss it.
Affirmation of the importance of the cultural sector came from Creative Scotland last week as it injected impressive sums of money into the likes of Aberdeen Performing Arts and the team striving to bring the Belmont Cinema back to life.
But this just isn’t art for art’s sake – it’s art for the city’s sake too.
Festivals, shows, events and celebrations are all things that bring people into the city centre, and give them something to linger for and to come back to time and time again – all while boosting the local economy.
And we all have a part to play in that by becoming the most important of any performance – the audience.
So, please, in the coming months get out and join in the many fantastic offerings laid out for you. You won’t just enjoy yourselves, you’ll also be doing your bit to stop Aberdeen fading to black and returning our city to the limelight where it deserves to be.
Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired.
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