What is the name of the large New Year's Eve torchlight procession held annually in Edinburgh?

The large annual New Year procession in Edinburgh is called Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Torchlight Procession.

The procession is a major opening event of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations. Participants carry flaming torches through the city, creating a large moving stream of light before the main New Year festivities. The route and organization can change, but the event has typically connected historic parts of central Edinburgh with a large public gathering.

Torch-bearing processions have deep roots in Scotland and northern European winter customs, where fire and light symbolized protection, renewal, or the turning of the season. Edinburgh’s modern event is a planned civic spectacle rather than an unbroken survival of one ancient ceremony.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay program also includes a street party, concerts, fireworks, and the traditional singing of “Auld Lang Syne.” The Torchlight Procession should not be confused with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is held mainly in August and is not a New Year event.