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 Ftáčnik said at a press conference on Wednesday, December 22. He promised that he will return from a short holiday to attend the New Year's Eve party.
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 Soňa Rebrová from civil association Želaj 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 the Main Square, with a marathon concert taking place between 18:00 and 1:00 The show will feature bands such as the following: Hudba z Marsu, Lavagance, Polemic, Hex and Vidiek. Meanwhile, bands such as Cigánski Diabli and Pressburger Klezmer along with fire-jugglers, stunt-cyclists, and other entertainers will perform on Hviezdoslavovo Square as of 16:00. 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 Economics University at 10:00.
