Forres Highland Games organisers bring forward early bird ticket release due to demand

Tickets are on sale early for a local summer sporting event due to demand from overseas.

In its 97th year, Forres Highland Games’ organisers started the sale now following numerous enquiries from tourists aiming to travel to the area from abroad.

Fielding the requests for the event at Grant Park on Saturday, July 5, treasurer Alistair Stewart confirmed this is the earliest ever they have been made available.

“So far, we have sold tickets to folk from America, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France and Italy,” he said. “It is always an international affair, but we seem to have been getting enquiries about the event since the last one.”

The early-bird tickets will be available at a reduced rate until the end of May.

Last year, the event attracted thousands of attendees and was even featured in French documentary ‘Voyage au Bout de L’effort’, which streamed on popular TV channel Canal+.

Games president, Fred Davidson said: “It’s wonderful to see tickets already selling to - at the moment - a predominantly international audience. We love to have them and to provide an authentic Games Day experience.”

This year’s programme will include track and field events, the 10K road race, Highland dancing, as well as piping and field events such as tossing the caber and the hammer throw.

Recent introduction the solo drumming competition will return for 2025 as well as the popular massed pipe bands.

Last year, the event also successfully introduced four ladies’ heavies events - this year, the caber toss will be added too.

Unique to the Forres Highland Games is the message boys bike race where spectators compete.

There are also opportunities for businesses to get involved, with stalls and sponsorship available.

“The games are the perfect opportunity to promote businesses with a stall or through a sponsorship package,” explained Fred. “The event is run by volunteers, and income from these revenue streams is vital to it being staged.

“The sponsorship packages start from as little as £70 and range from sponsoring an event or even a message bike, to having an arena banner which we can display every year.”

Visit www.forreshighlandgames.com for more information.