The famous New Year’s Eve celebration in Edinburgh is called Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scots name for New Year’s Eve, and Edinburgh’s modern festival combines concerts, street events, torchlight processions, and a midnight fireworks display. Its events take place across central Edinburgh, with the castle and historic streets providing a distinctive setting. The festival’s exact program and scale can change from year to year.
The celebration draws on Scottish New Year customs while also functioning as a large contemporary public festival. One well-known tradition is singing “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight, a song strongly associated with Scotland and with New Year celebrations internationally. Torchlight events are usually scheduled before the midnight countdown rather than being the countdown itself.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay should not be confused with Hogmanay as a general Scottish term. Many communities in Scotland celebrate Hogmanay, but the Edinburgh event is a specific organized festival with an international reputation.