Edinburgh’s major New Year’s Eve festival is called Hogmanay.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a multi-day celebration centered on the transition from December 31 to January 1. Its modern program has included a torchlight procession, concerts, a large street party, and fireworks near Edinburgh Castle. The festival combines contemporary entertainment with older Scottish New Year customs.
The word Hogmanay refers broadly to Scotland’s New Year celebration, not only to Edinburgh’s organized event. Its precise linguistic origin is disputed, with proposed links to French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots traditions. This uncertainty is why no single etymology should be treated as definitive.
Edinburgh’s festival became particularly prominent in the late twentieth century and is now one of the world’s best-known New Year events. Dates, venues, and individual performances can change, but the festival’s identity remains tied to Scotland’s New Year traditions.