The torchlit procession at Edinburgh's Hogmanay is called the Torchlight Procession.
The event traditionally takes place on December 30, before the main Hogmanay street celebrations. Participants carry flaming torches through Edinburgh, creating a moving river of light that ends at a major gathering point. The procession has become one of the festival's most recognizable opening events.
Modern Edinburgh's Hogmanay combines this procession with concerts, street parties, fireworks, and other programmed events. Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year's Eve, but its celebrations extend across several days rather than being limited to the midnight moment.
The Torchlight Procession is sometimes described as a Viking tradition. Its modern organized form is a contemporary festival event, even though it draws on broader Scottish winter customs and imagery. The procession should not be confused with Edinburgh's separate New Year's Day Loony Dook.