18/09/2026
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is one of the most famous New Year celebrations in the world — a huge, multi-day festival that turns the Scottish capital into a party to see out the old year and welcome the new. “Hogmanay” is the Scots word for the last day of the year, and Edinburgh’s version, revived on a grand scale in the 1990s, has become a byword for the celebration, drawing tens of thousands of revellers from around the globe. Centred on the famous Street Party and midnight fireworks, it combines music, fire, tradition and spectacular settings beneath Edinburgh Castle. In 2026–27 the festival runs from 29 December 2026 to 1 January 2027.
What to See
The celebration usually unfolds over several days. It traditionally opens with the Torchlight Procession, when thousands of people carrying flaming torches wind through the Old Town in a river of fire. The centrepiece is Hogmanay itself, 31 December, when the ticketed Street Party fills Princes Street and the city centre with live music, DJs and street performers, alongside the Concert in the Gardens beneath the Castle, all building to the “Midnight Moment” and a huge fireworks display over the castle ramparts as the bells ring in the New Year — followed, by custom, by the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.” New Year’s Day brings gentler events, from ceilidh dancing to the bracing “Loony Dook” dip in the Firth of Forth, rounding off the festivities.
How to Get There and Practical Information
Edinburgh is easy to reach, with its own international airport and fast rail links to Glasgow, London and the rest of the UK; the Hogmanay events are concentrated in the city centre around Princes Street and the Old Town, all within walking distance, with extended public transport over the period. In 2026–27 Edinburgh’s Hogmanay runs from 29 December to 1 January. Many of the headline events — the Street Party, the Concert in the Gardens and often the Torchlight Procession — are ticketed and sell out well in advance, while some New Year’s Day activities are free; the city is packed and hotels book up months ahead, so plan early. Dress for cold, often wet or windy, Scottish winter weather, and check which areas need a ticket before setting out.
Weather in location: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2026/2027, UK
- Today 12°…17°
- Wind 18 km/h SW
- No precipitation now
