The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), organisers of Scotland’s biggest outdoor event, the Royal Highland Show, has launched tickets for the 2021 four-day event.
Taking place from June 17-20, the show, which celebrates the best in food, farming and rural life, will make a welcome return to Ingliston showground following the cancellation of the 2020 event due to Covid-19 restrictions.
While normally attracting almost 200,000 people over the four days, organisers have said that they are planning for a limited number of show-goers this year as social distancing measures are likely to still be in place.
There will, however, be the opportunity to ‘scale up’ if changes to government restrictions allow.
As a result, organisers are releasing tickets via Ticketmaster on a staged basis with the first batch going on sale at 12:00pm today Friday, December 11, before the next release in early January with an increased price structure.
While visitor numbers will be restricted, organisers are setting their stalls out for what they plan will be a fitting showcase for the sector and the unveiling of the new RHASS members’ area.
‘We have left no stone unturned’
RHASS chairman Bill Gray, said:
“We have left no stone unturned in our planning for what will be the best possible celebration of our 180th show.
Yes, there will be special measures we have had to factor in, but that won’t take away from what will be a vitally important showcase for the sector – we all need this more than ever as we emerge from this challenging year.
To plan with confidence, RHASS directors and staff have been working in close partnership with the Scottish government and City of Edinburgh Council to ensure all necessary guidelines are in place to enable the show to go ahead.
‘The key pillars of this much-loved event’
RHASS Chief Executive Alan Laidlaw explained:
It is important that we ensure that the event will remain a true reflection of the industry and will therefore feature the key pillars of this much-loved event, including food, livestock, show jumping, education, rural skills and, of course, the camaraderie of coming together to network and socialise.
“The reality is that there will be less people, but for the lucky people that get a ticket, they will not be disappointed. That is our absolute commitment.”
RHASS members receive free entry to the show and this year however, to enable track and trace to take place, they will be asked to opt in for the days they will attend.
Similarly, members of the public will be required to purchase tickets – both entry and carparking – for the specific days they plan to attend.
