The Edinburgh New Year’s Eve celebration that begins with a torchlight procession is Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
The festival’s Torchlight Procession typically leads participants through central Edinburgh toward a concluding gathering. It forms part of a larger program that includes concerts, street celebrations, family events, and midnight fireworks. The exact route and programming can change from year to year.
Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year season, while Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is the city’s organized festival. The torchlight event is therefore one component of the celebration rather than a separate national holiday. Thousands of torches create a moving stream of light against Edinburgh’s historic streets and hills.
Visitors sometimes confuse the event with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe or the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Those are separate festivals held at different times or for different occasions. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is specifically associated with the transition from December 31 to January 1.