THE COUNTDOWN to the first Forth Bridges Festival – and a “chain of fire” – has begun with a packed list of events for the 10-day celebration.

It runs from Thursday 4th to Saturday 13th September and is sure to be a hit for all the family, ending in a bang with a huge fireworks display.

The festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Road Bridge in 1964 and is set to commemorate it in a unique way.

On Saturday 13th September the bridge will be illuminated with thousands of torches.

Participants will create a chain of fire stretching across the bridge to Fife before returning to a ‘Bridge Party’ in South Queensferry.

The dazzling highlight of the evening will be the fireworks display, set to launch at 10.06pm in order to recognise the Forth Road Bridge’s impressive 1006-metre main span, a statistic which made it the longest suspension bridge outside the USA when it opened.

The event will be wrapped up with a huge outdoor ceilidh – dubbed the ‘Forth Fling’ – before party-goers jump on free shuttle buses back to Fife and Lothian.

Also included in the 10-day festival will be a Flotilla on the Forth, Art Trail exhibition, craft, food and drink markets, a sports day, rowing regatta, biker rally, dancing competition, ‘Tales from Doon the Ferry’ and a Forth Road Bridge Song competition winners party. There will also be sight-seeing trips on the Forth with the opportunity to learn more about the history of the existing bridges and the new £1.4 billion Queensferry Crossing, which is currently under construction.

Councillor Jim Leishman, Provost of Fife, said, “The Forth Bridges Festival is a great celebration of these world-famous icons which provide a magnificent gateway to Fife for visitors and locals alike.

“The bridges are an essential link to and from the Kingdom, used by many thousands of people every year, and something we maybe take for granted.

“The 50th birthday of the Forth Road Bridge is an ideal opportunity to take time to learn about the rich history of the bridges and the surrounding area and celebrate these unique landmarks on our own doorstep.

“The Torchlight Procession will provide the perfect finale to the festival, bringing 2014 people across the bridge to Fife.” Tickets, priced £23 plus booking fee, are available to take part in both the Torchlight Procession and the Bridge Party. Additional tickets are also available for the Bridge Party only, priced £13.50 plus booking fee. Tickets are on sale via the Forth Road Bridge website www.forthroadbridge.org and the Forth Bridges Festival website www.forth bridgesfestival.com.