Edinburgh’s midnight New Year’s Eve fireworks festival is called Hogmanay.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a multi-day celebration centered on the arrival of the new year. Its events have included torchlight processions, concerts, street parties, and fireworks, with Edinburgh Castle commonly serving as a dramatic backdrop. The precise program can change from year to year.
“Hogmanay” is the Scots word for New Year’s Eve and, by extension, the surrounding Scottish New Year celebrations. The word’s origin is disputed, with proposed links to French, Norse, Gaelic, and other language traditions. That uncertainty does not affect its modern meaning in Scotland.
Hogmanay is sometimes confused with Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25, or with St Andrew’s Day on November 30. Those are separate Scottish observances. Edinburgh’s event is especially famous for carrying traditions such as first-footing into a large, organized public festival, while fireworks mark the midnight transition.