Edinburgh hosts the Hogmanay Torchlight Procession as part of its famous New Year's celebrations.
The Edinburgh Torchlight Procession is a major event in the city’s Hogmanay program. Participants carry flaming torches through central Edinburgh, creating a moving river of light against the city’s historic streets and skyline. The procession traditionally ends at or near Holyrood Park, where the torches form a large symbolic spectacle.
The modern event draws on older fire and midwinter traditions, while its present organized form developed as part of Edinburgh’s large-scale New Year festival. The route, participants, and ending arrangements can change, so descriptions should be checked for the specific year.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay program also includes concerts, a large street party, and other events around December 31 and January 1. The torchlight procession is not the same thing as the midnight fireworks: it is a separate pre-New-Year event that helps open the city’s celebrations.