Virgin Money renews headline sponsorship deal with Edinburgh International Festival fireworks concert for next three years

Virgin Money has renewed its headline sponsorship deal with Edinburgh International Festival’s fireworks concert finale for an undisclosed sum.

The financial services company has committed to the event, which lit up the capital’s skies as EIF drew to a close last night, for the next three years, according to a statement from the firm.

The bank has a long-running association with the event, which features a spectacular concert by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Princes Street Gardens, having come on board as title sponsors in 2011.

In that time over 1.5m people have enjoyed the event from vantage points across Edinburgh and beyond, with an estimated 2.5 million fireworks having exploded over Edinburgh’s Castle in the same period. The company’s corporate headquarters are based in St Andrew Square, alongside Virgin Money’s Edinburgh customer lounge.

Andrew Nicolson Brand Director at Virgin Money said: ‘Virgin Money is delighted to continue its sponsorship of the Fireworks Concert and we look forward to continuing to work with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on this wonderful event. This annual spectacular brings a fitting finale to an amazing 70th anniversary International Festival in the world’s greatest festival city.”

Around 250,000 spectators watched the event last night with more than 400,000 fireworks launched during the concert in a display designed by Keith Webb of Pyrovision, synchronised to music performed live by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and conducted by Clark Rundell.

Classical composers Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Sir James MacMillan and Sir Malcolm Arnold featured in an extended programme which included Scottish and Gaelic songs performed by Capercaillie vocalist Karen Matheson to special orchestral arrangements. The concert also featured music from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Sleeping Beauty.

Gavin Reid, Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chief Executive said: “Many congratulations to the International Festival on their hugely successful 70th Anniversary year, and our thanks to the wonderful Karen Matheson for joining the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on stage this evening. The concert is an enormous collective effort from the whole of the city and we thank all our technical and health & safety partners, the City of Edinburgh Council and Forth 1 for their valued ongoing support of the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert. We are very proud to work with our event sponsor Virgin Money and are delighted with their continued support of the arts in Scotland.”