🧭 Thank You And Happy New Year!

Good morning, Fifers, and Happy New Year. I hope you all had a great Hogmanay.

I also wanted to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped Fife Insider grow over the past year. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or joined more recently, it’s been fantastic to see the newsletter continue to build momentum.

A special thanks to our Fife Insider+ subscribers for helping keep this project running, and to everyone who has supported us by clicking on our ads or by sharing the newsletter with a friend, it genuinely makes a difference.

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

• Fife Insider’s Year in Numbers

• 19 Events to See This Weekend

Let’s jump in, there’s plenty to talk about!

— Duncan

TODAY’S TOP STORY

🧭 Fife Insider’s Year in Numbers

This time of year is often a little quieter for news, so I thought it was a good opportunity to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how Fife Insider has performed in its first year.

I’m genuinely proud of what we’ve achieved so far, bringing a more positive lens to what’s happening across Fife and helping shine a light on the many great events taking place throughout the Kingdom. Here’s how the year looks in numbers:

• 8,077 subscribers

• 51 Fife Insider+ members

• 91 posts

• 7,405 opens on our most popular issue

• 422 votes on our most popular poll

• 3,662 votes across all our polls

• 412 clicks on our most engaged link (Stagecoach route changes)

• 154,000+ total email opens

• 11,187 total link clicks

While the growth and engagement have been really encouraging, I see 2026 as a pivotal year for Fife Insider in terms of long-term self-sufficiency. Turning these ideas into reality depends on building a stronger base of paid support and local advertising. I have several new ideas planned for the coming months and will be asking for your input in the next issue, including potential additions like a local job board, an eat-out guide, a local business directory, and more.

If you’d like to support the newsletter, consider becoming a Fife Insider+ member. Your support helps cover running costs, and in return you’ll receive ad-free newsletters and extended Sunday event outlooks, all for less than £2 a month.

If you’re a local business looking to reach people across Fife, feel free to reply to this email to find out more about our advertising options as we begin rolling out 2026 ad slots. Packages start from £100 per send, making it an affordable way to reach a highly engaged local audience. Advertising slots are limited each send, so early enquiries for 2026 will be prioritised.

LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🏃‍♂️ Dunfermline’s Auld Toun 10k is set to return this summer as part of a new Dunfermline City Running Festival, set for Sunday June 7th.

• 🚗 Fife saw a 44% rise in ultra-low emission vehicles in 2025, with registrations reaching 7,630 as electric and hybrid cars became more accessible across the region.

• 🍞 Fife bakery SM Bayne & Co is planning a £20m expansion at its Lochgelly facility, aiming to double its Scottish store network from 71 to 140 and create additional local jobs while enhancing production capacity and retail operations.

• 🏆 Wellesley Parish Church’s Wellesley Centre in Methil has won the Provost’s Inspirational Group Award, recognising the work of more than 70 volunteers delivering seven-day community support through cafés, family groups, youth activities and services for older people and those with additional needs.

• 🎭 The Alhambra Theatre’s Snow White pantomime drew over 30,000 visitors in December, becoming a record-breaking, fully immersive festive hit produced in-house by the theatre.

• 🐋 A juvenile humpback whale has been spotted off the Fife coast, near Kirkcaldy, Kinghorn, and Dysart, likely feeding on sprat and herring in the Forth, a known North Sea nursery ground.

• 🚑 Dalgety Bay paramedic Dave Bywater has been awarded the King’s Ambulance Medal in the 2026 New Year Honours, recognising decades of exceptional service and leadership in cardiac arrest care.

@THEFIFEINSIDER

📸 Share your photos of Fife with us! Tag @thefifeinsider and you could be featured in the next edition.

WHAT’S ON IN FIFE?

Please remember to double-check details with venues before travelling, as events can occasionally be cancelled or rescheduled at short notice, and some will require prebooked tickets.

📅 Friday, 2nd January

New Year's Beach Clean - We’ll be starting the New Year with what is becoming our traditional beach clean.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 St Bridget's Kirk, Dalgety Bay | 🎟️ Free

Aladdin - Join Aladdin as he sets off on a bonkers Highland adventure in this Scottish take on the classic tale.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 2pm & 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £27+

New Year Heritage Tour with Mulled Wine - Join us for a special edition of our popular Adam Smith Heritage Tour as we welcome the New Year in true Kirkcaldy style.
📁 Tour | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Adam Smith Heritage Centre | 🎟️ Free

Oor Wee Mammy McGoose - The Best Wee Panto in Scotland returns with a Brand Spanking New Production.
📁 Panto | 🕢 2:30pm & 7:30pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £14+

Stevie Agnew - Scottish rock vocalist and guitarist from Dunfermline.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ Free

📅 Saturday, 3rd January

Aladdin - Join Aladdin as he sets off on a bonkers Highland adventure in this Scottish take on the classic tale.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 2pm & 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £25+

Oor Wee Mammy McGoose - The Best Wee Panto in Scotland returns with a Brand Spanking New Production.
📁 Panto | 🕢 2:30pm & 7:30pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £14+

Soul Station - Resident DJ Martin Duffy keeps us entertained, so bring your dancing shoes.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £9.38

📅 Sunday, 4th January

Aladdin - Join Aladdin as he sets off on a bonkers Highland adventure in this Scottish take on the classic tale.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 1pm & 5pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £25+

Oor Wee Mammy McGoose - The Best Wee Panto in Scotland returns with a Brand Spanking New Production.
📁 Panto | 🕢 2:30pm & 7:30pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £14+

RSNO Viennese Gala Concert 2026 - Let us whirl you away to a world full of elegant waltzes, playful polkas and good old-fashioned romance.
📁 Music | 🕢 2:30pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £32

The Ballad of Wallis Island - An eccentric lottery winner, living alone with dreams of reuniting his favourite folk duo to perform at his island home.
📁 Movie | 🕢 6:15pm | 📍 Dreel Halls, Anstruther | 🎟️ £6

🎉 Multi-Day Events & Exhibitions

Collecting the Contemporary: Scottish Art at Kirkcaldy Galleries - This display features works by modern and contemporary painters who were inspired by Scotland.
📅 Fri, 31st January - Wed, 31st December | 🕢 10am | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Wonder Festival - Celebration of nature and the outdoors in the darkest time of the year.
📅 Fri, 2nd - Sun, 4th January | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Cambo Country House and Estate | 🎟️ Varies

Jack Vettriano Exhibition 2025 - Collection of Jack Vettriano prints, including rare and sold-out pieces.
📅 Tue, 4th March - Thu, 15th January 2026 | 🕢 10am | 📍 Affordable Arts, Methil | 🎟️ Free

From These Parts: Scotland, Art and Identity - Special preview evening filled with live music, drinks, and creative activities.
📅 Sat, 18th October - Sun, 15th February 2026 | 🕢 10am | 📍 Wardlaw Museum | 🎟️ Free

Paul McGinty: Beneath The Surface - This body of work represents elements of Paul McGinty's ongoing research into the history of the Coal Mining Industry in Fife.
📅 Thu, 8th January - Fri, 27th February | 🕢 10am-4pm (Thu & Fri) | 📍 Adam Smith Heritage Centre | 🎟️ Free

Unveiling the Madonna - Discover the story behind the Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, the oldest painting in our art collection.
📅 Sat, 8th November - Sat, 7th March 2026 | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 St Andrews Museum | 🎟️ Free

Bunker Shots: Stories of Golf and Conflict - Surprising connections between golf and conflict, including the impact on golfers and their equipment.
📅 Fri, 18th April - Tue, 31st March 2026 | 🕢 9:15am | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £17.50

ADVERTISE WITH THE FIFE INSIDER

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THANKS FOR READING

Thanks for reading Fife Insider today. If you found something useful, please share it with a friend in Fife.

Cheers,

Duncan