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New Year's Eve Party in Bratislava to Feature Music and Sports
Wednesday 22 December 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 22 (TASR) - This year's New Year's Eve party in the Slovak capital, the 12th of its kind, is well prepared to meet public expectations concerning its traditional cultural quality, mayor of Bratislava Milan Ftacnik said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Ftacnik promised that he will return from a short holiday to attend the New Year's Eve party. "New Year's Day is also a state holiday [the Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic], and I want the capital to back it," he said.
The organisers have prepared a novelty this year in the form of a charity event in which Chinese lanterns of fortune will float into the air shortly before midnight. "This has been approved by the Aviation Office," said Sona Rebrova from civil association Zelaj si (Make a Wish).
The Hlava 98 civil association, which is organising the party, promises that the event won't fall behind those held in previous years despite the difficult economic situation. This is thanks to the fact that sponsors are covering 85 percent of the €120,000 cost. The city council has set aside €15,000 for security and maintenance.
As usual, the epicentre of the celebrations will be Hlavne Namestie (Main Square), with a marathon concert taking place between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m. The show will feature bands such as Hudba z Marsu, Lavagance, Polemic, Hex and Vidiek. Meanwhile, bands such as Ciganski Diabli and Pressburger Klezmer Band along with fire-jugglers, stunt-cyclists and other entertainers will perform on Hviezdoslavovo Namestie (Hviezdoslav Square) as of 4 p.m.
At the same time, the Sport and Recreation Facilities Administration (STARZ) is organising the 22th annual New Year's Eve run over Bratislava's bridges. The organisers expect around 1,000 runners to take part in the event, which is set to start in front of the Economic University at 10 a.m.
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