Giant curtain to shield concerts in Princes Street Gardens

A giant curtain will be set up along Princes Street to stop people without tickets gathering to sneak a peek at summer concerts.

It follows a row last year when ugly black boards were attached to railings close to the Ross Bandstand.

The change means the shielding can be removed between the shows, including a Lewis Capaldi gig.

Edinburgh Council's public safety manager, John McNeill, said: "When the screens are not there, there’s a significant number of people trying to congregate on Princes Street.

"It results in us having to close the road and put the trams off."

Last year, 10ft-high black-painted boards sparked complaints that famous views of Edinburgh Castle were being blocked during the peak tourist season.

Benches along Princes Street also had barriers put in front of them to prevent anyone standing on them to look over the railings.

Cllr Scott Arthur said: "This is going to be detrimental to the view of the caste from Princes Street.

"We are stopping people access parts of the public park for a longer period of time than last year."

But Archie McIvor, speaking on behalf of DF Concerts, said the screening was in place last year "for safety reasons".

He added: "It was not there to stop people seeing the concert for nothing. The type of screening this year is more of a giant curtain operation – it’s pulled back like a giant curtain."

The city council’s licensing sub-committee agreed a temporary public entertainment application for the concerts.

A DF spokesperson said: "We’ve taken on board all of our findings from last year into the planning for Summer Sessions in Princes Street Gardens this year, which will see seven world-class acts perform nine shows in the heart of the city.

“External perimeter screening is essential for managing public safety on the surrounding streets as the concerts could grab the attention of passers-by on Princes Street, causing them to congregate.

"This screening is a requirement set out by City of Edinburgh Council’s safety advisory group and is a condition of our licence approval process".

A council spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing the safest environment for the public whilst maximising general access to the gardens.