The Hogmanay torchlight procession traditionally begins in Edinburgh before the city’s New Year celebrations.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a major Scottish New Year festival featuring concerts, street celebrations, fireworks, and a torchlight procession. The procession has become one of its best-known opening events, with participants carrying flaming torches through the city toward a central gathering area.
Hogmanay is the Scots word for New Year’s Eve and is associated with customs such as first-footing, singing “Auld Lang Syne,” and welcoming visitors after midnight. Edinburgh’s festival grew into a large organized public event during the late twentieth century.
The procession route and starting arrangements can change, so visitors should check official event information for a particular year. The city identification remains central to the festival’s name and international reputation.