WELCOME TO YOUR LATEST IN TOUCH NEWSLETTER
If there’s one thing the team here at Aberdeen Inspired takes pride in, it’s this: We deliver.
We delivered the first Shop Aberdeen event, so successful in boosting the vital “bricks and mortars” retailers of the city centre that we are going to do it all again.
We delivered the prestigious Purple Flag award for city centre safety to Aberdeen for an unprecedented 11th year, with the Granite City still the only city in Scotland to hold the coveted award.
We will deliver one of the best Christmas markets in the UK from next week with the return of Curated In The Quad, along with Charlie House, part of the wider Aberdeen Christmas Village, alongside our partners Aberdeen City Council and Codonas.
We will deliver yet another outing for the hugely-popular Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks in February next year, with the Foodie Fortnight bringing people into the city centre and boosting our vital hospitality sector.
We will help deliver the return of the Aberdeen Comedy Festival next autumn, working closely with our friends at Aberdeen Performing Arts who are staging this major event to put a smile on everyone’s face.
I’m delighted Aberdeen Inspired has been able to announce all of these events and successes over the past couple of weeks – you can read more about them below.
They stand proudly alongside other Aberdeen Inspired achievements such as delivering the world-acclaimed Nuart Aberdeen street festival; the UK’s best gift card in the Aberdeen Gift Card; our work with the city council and Port of Aberdeen in delivering the Tall Ships Races to Aberdeen next July; the celebration of neurodiversity that is the Umbrella Project; the ongoing network of almost 700 levy payers who are the backbone and driving force behind everything we do.
But while everyone at Aberdeen Inspired takes pride in what we deliver as a Business Improvement District we never lose sight of the most vital fact. We do not and cannot do this alone.
We do it in partnership with our fellow stakeholders and agencies invested in the regeneration and future prosperity of Aberdeen.
We do it with the businesses, shops, restaurants, bars, attractions and myriad other venues who live work and breathe the city centre.
We do it with the people of Aberdeen and those of the north-east who see this as their regional city.
We do it together because that is the only way we can do what we want and need to do - deliver for Aberdeen.
Best wishes,
Adrian Watson, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Inspired
STORIES
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Success for First Shop Aberdeen means it will return
Shop Aberdeen has been hailed such a success that organisers Aberdeen Inspired are already planning the return of this welcome boost for city centre retailers.
Many of the 49 outlets who took part in the four-day campaign – which ended on Sunday, October 27 – said it brought in a raft of new customers and business, boosting trade and the wider city centre.
Now Aberdeen Inspired is planning to bring Shop Aberdeen back – and has already started asking retailers for their thoughts and vision on the next one.
You can read more about Shop Aberdeen’s success story here.
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Dates revealed for next outing for hugely-popular Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks
Dates for the next Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks outing have been revealed – with a call for city eateries to grab their place at the table for this celebration of the Granite City’s finest food and drink.
Discerning diners are also being urged to save the date for the “Foodie Fortnight” which will run from February 24 to March 9, organised by Aberdeen Inspired to showcase the sheer range and quality of the city’s restaurants, cafes and bars.
Read more about Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks – and how venues can sign up - here.
Image Credits - Codona's
Granite City set to sparkle as Christmas festivities launch next week
The Granite City’s Christmas Village will burst into spectacular life on Broad Street on Thursday, November 14, launched in a yuletide partnership between Aberdeen City Council, Codona’s and Aberdeen Inspired.
The six-week run for the epicentre of fun – with its open air skating rink, fun rides for all ages, plus food and drink stalls boasting local producers – will kick off the festive season in Aberdeen.
That includes a glittering array of events and fun, including a Christmas parade, a new festive trail of lights, carol concerts and– not least - the bigger and better Curated In The Quad festive market presented by Aberdeen Inspired and Charlie House and running for six weekends up to Christmas itself.
Read more here.
Image Credits - Aberdeen Performing Arts
Return of Aberdeen Comedy Festival gives Granite City something to smile about
Aberdeen Performing Arts has announced a brand-new version of the Aberdeen Comedy Festival for 2025 running across the city from September 22 to October 5 and supported by Aberdeen Inspired.
The award-winning arts organisation have announced comedy favourite and current Strictly star Chris McCausland, beloved funny woman Sue Perkins and legendary stand-up Stewart Lee, as the first names to be signed up, with further announcements to be made.
To find out more about this welcome return of the Aberdeen Comedy Festival – who initially ran the festival from 2016 to 2022 – visit here.
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen retains prestigious Purple Flag for city centre safety and vibrancy for 11th year
Aberdeen has retained a prestigious UK award for city centre safety and vibrancy – the Purple Flag – for an unprecedented 11th year in a row.
The acclaimed award was confirmed for the Granite City – the only city in Scotland to hold Purple Flag status – by the Association of Town & City Management last month.
The renewal process was overseen by Aberdeen Inspired on behalf of its city centre partners and stakeholders. You can read more about it here.
Image Credits - Nuart Aberdeen / Conor Gault
Get up close and very personal with Nuart Aberdeen on your own private tour
The public tours of the spectacular Nuart Aberdeen murals and artworks are over for this year – but you can still book a place on a private tour.
It’s a chance to explore the best the world-beating street art festival from previous years with a special focus on the most recent highlights. Led by our knowledgeable Nuart team, these private tours bring you up close to stunning murals, unique installations, and thought-provoking urban art.
You can find out more here.
Image Credits - Police Scotland
Reminder to report all incidents of city centre anti-social behaviour to police
Aberdeen Inspired is urging everyone to report all incidents of anti-social or non-emergency criminal behaviour in the city centre via 101or Police Scotland’s online reporting form.
Concerns over such behaviour – which many of our levy payers fear is on the increase in some areas – was raised at a city centre safety committee meeting.
The advice from Police Scotland was to make them aware of such incidents by dialling 101. If that line has a lengthy waiting time, incidents can be speedily reported online.
By reporting and logging such behaviour, more reliable statistics can be gathered to create an accurate picture of the scale and location of such behaviour to help the relevant authorities address the issue.
The online reporting form can be found here.