Which New Year's Eve festival in Edinburgh is famous for its torchlight procession and street party?

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is the New Year’s Eve festival famous for its torchlight procession and street party.

Hogmanay is the Scots term for the final day of the old year and the celebrations surrounding it. Edinburgh’s modern festival developed into a large, organized event featuring a torchlight procession, outdoor concerts, fireworks, and a major gathering on Princes Street. The name is sometimes used for Scottish New Year celebrations generally, but Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a specific city festival.

The torchlight procession usually takes place before midnight and has involved thousands of participants carrying flaming torches through the city. Its route and exact program can change from year to year, so the procession should not be treated as a fixed historical ceremony with one permanent format.

Scottish customs associated with Hogmanay include first-footing, singing “Auld Lang Syne,” and fire-related rituals. Edinburgh’s event is distinct from celebrations in Glasgow and other Scottish cities.