Which New Year's Eve celebration in Edinburgh traditionally features a torchlight procession through the city?

Edinburgh's Hogmanay traditionally features a torchlight procession through the city.

The procession usually takes place on December 30, before the main midnight festivities. Participants carry flaming torches through central Edinburgh toward a concluding event, creating a river of light against the city's historic streets and skyline. The route and final arrangements can vary between years because organizers adjust the program for safety, crowd management, and local conditions.

Edinburgh's wider Hogmanay program includes concerts, street celebrations, and a midnight fireworks display. The festival is a modern, organized expression of Scotland's New Year customs rather than a single ancient ceremony preserved unchanged. The word Hogmanay itself refers to New Year's celebrations in Scotland.

Visitors sometimes assume the torchlight procession is held at midnight on December 31. It is traditionally scheduled the previous evening, while the main street party and fireworks occur on New Year's Eve. This distinction makes the procession a particularly identifiable part of Edinburgh's multi-day festival.