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

The Torchlight Procession is the New Year’s Eve procession held in Edinburgh before midnight.

The event forms part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations. Participants carry flaming torches through the city, creating a large moving stream of light before the central New Year festivities. Its route and arrangements can change between editions, but the torch-bearing procession remains one of the celebration’s signature spectacles.

The event is often linked with Edinburgh’s historic streets and dramatic skyline, especially when the procession gathers near the city’s Old Town. It is a public spectacle rather than a private household custom such as first-footing.

The procession should not be confused with the Stonehaven Fireballs, another Scottish New Year event in which participants swing flaming balls in Stonehaven. Both use fire, but they are different celebrations in different places.