What New Year’s Eve event in Edinburgh features a torchlit procession through the city?

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay features a torchlit procession through the city.

The Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festival traditionally opens with a large Torchlight Procession, in which participants carry flaming torches through central Edinburgh. The route has varied over time, but the procession has commonly ended near or at Calton Hill, where the gathered torches create a dramatic blaze visible across the city.

The wider festival includes concerts, street celebrations, fireworks, and a large midnight gathering on Princes Street. Its events combine Scottish New Year customs with a modern city festival designed for residents and visitors.

The torchlight event should not be confused with Edinburgh’s famous Hogmanay street party, which is a separate part of the same festival program. The procession is a ceremonial opening event, while the street party is a principal midnight celebration.