Edinburgh's Hogmanay

Edinburgh's Hogmanay is the city's official New Year festival, held in the city centre beneath Edinburgh Castle. The organisers describe it as a four-day festival of old and new traditions, with music, fireworks, ceilidhs, comedy and family events. VisitScotland says Hogmanay's origins go back to winter solstice celebrations and Viking midwinter festivals, and fire is still part of it: the festival opens with a torchlit procession through the Old Town.

The festival is created and produced by Unique Assembly, with the City of Edinburgh Council as principal funding partner. In April 2024 councillors agreed a contract with a consortium led by Unique Assembly to deliver Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay until 2026/27, with two optional 12-month extensions.

This edition

The 2026/27 programme opens with the Torchlight Procession from The Meadows on Tuesday 29 December 2026 at 18:30. The Night Afore Party with The Fratellis is in West Princes Street Gardens on 30 December. On 31 December the Street Party fills Princes Street from 20:00, and Hogmanay in the Gardens, with Underworld and special guests, plays beneath the castle and soundtracks the Midnight Moment fireworks live for the first time. On New Year's Day, First Footin' is a free, unticketed live music trail across city-centre venues; its 2027 details had not been published when this page was checked.

Weather

The outdoor events can be cancelled in high winds. On 30 December 2024 all outdoor events for 30 and 31 December 2024, including the Street Party, the Concert in the Gardens and the midnight fireworks, were called off on public safety grounds. Indoor events went ahead.

For more on the city, see our Edinburgh guide. In August, the city hosts the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

• Torchlight Procession (29 December 2026, 18:30): a procession of torches from The Meadows through the historic Old Town.
• Night Afore Party with The Fratellis (30 December 2026, 18:00): a concert in West Princes Street Gardens, beneath Edinburgh Castle.
• Street Party (31 December 2026, from 20:00): live music, DJs, giant screens, street theatre, pipers, drummers, funfair rides and street food along Princes Street, for about 45,000 people.
• Hogmanay in the Gardens with Underworld (31 December 2026): Underworld play the Midnight Moment fireworks over Edinburgh Castle live, a first for the festival.
• First Footin' (New Year's Day): a free, unticketed live music trail in venues across the city centre.

• New Town: next to Princes Street and the Gardens, so you can walk to the Street Party and the concerts, but expect road closures and crowds on 31 December.
• Old Town: the Torchlight Procession passes through it and the castle is overhead; expect road closures and parking restrictions on 29 and 31 December.
• Haymarket: west of the centre, with its own railway station and a tram stop on the line from the airport, so it's handy if you arrive by train or plane.
• Leith: quieter and further out, on the tram line to Picardy Place, which the organisers say ran every 10 minutes through the night last Hogmanay.

All overnight stays in the City of Edinburgh Council area now carry the Edinburgh visitor levy: 5% of the accommodation cost for up to five consecutive nights, on stays from 24 July 2026 booked on or after 1 October 2025.

By train: LNER runs from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, which is right below Princes Street. The Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight from London Euston to Edinburgh. ScotRail runs a normal service on 29 December, with a few exceptions, but on 31 December services wind down from about 19:00, according to the organisers' travel page. Check ScotRail's Christmas and New Year train times before you plan your journey home.

By air: Edinburgh Airport (EDI) lists direct flights from several UK airports, including London Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton and Stansted, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton and Belfast. The Airlink 100 bus runs to Waverley Bridge in about 30 minutes, at least every 10 minutes during the day. Edinburgh Trams take about 30 minutes to the city centre, stopping at Haymarket, Princes Street and St Andrew Square; on a normal day the last tram leaves the airport at 22:52.

On event days: the council puts road closures and parking restrictions in place in the city centre for the Torchlight Procession (29 December) and the Street Party (31 December), and the organisers publish the notices on their Getting Here & Home page. Last Hogmanay, Lothian Buses offered unlimited travel on day buses after 18:00 and on special 'H' services after midnight with a zone ticket, and trams ran every 10 minutes through the night, free from midnight to 05:00 on 1 January. Arrangements for 2026/27 had not been published when this page was checked; see Lothian's festive timetables in December. Citylink coaches link Glasgow and Edinburgh.

See our Edinburgh guide for more on the city.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

The main outdoor events are ticketed, with separate tickets for each. Prices from the official site for 2026/27: Torchlight Procession from £5.75 (at least one torch between two people), Night Afore Party from £42, Street Party from £10 and Hogmanay in the Gardens from £79. A Hogmanay in the Gardens ticket does not get you into the Street Party. First Footin' on New Year's Day is free and unticketed.

The Street Party, Hogmanay in the Gardens and the Night Afore Party are for ages 12 and over, and under-16s need a full-price ticket and an adult over 18. All tickets are e-tickets. The organisers say the only official sellers are edinburghshogmanay.com, ticketmaster.com and tickets-scotland.com, that there is no official resale, and that tickets from Eventbrite or secondary sites are not valid. If an event is cancelled you get a refund up to the face value; booking fees aren't refunded.

• Timing: on 31 December the Gardens open at 20:00 and last entry is at 23:00. The Street Party and the Gardens have a strict no-readmittance policy, so once you leave you can't get back in.
• What to bring: a bag no bigger than A3. No umbrellas, glass, chairs, professional cameras or drones. At the Street Party, alcohol is allowed only in plastic containers or cans of up to 500ml, and stewards search bags on entry.
• Weather: it's midwinter and the events are outdoors and all standing. The organisers advise checking the forecast and wearing sturdy footwear and waterproof clothing; see the Met Office forecast for Edinburgh.
• Phones: signal can be poor in the crowds, so download your e-tickets beforehand and agree a meeting point.
• Local food: VisitScotland describes first-footing, when friends and neighbours bring gifts such as whisky, coal and shortbread for good luck in the new year.

Accessible viewing spaces are limited and must be booked through the Box Office (0131 623 3033). The Street Party has an Accessible Viewing Area reached through a dedicated Accessible Entrance at the East Gate on Princes Street. Hogmanay in the Gardens has an accessible viewing platform reached from King's Stables Road; the rest of the Gardens is sloped and its general admission areas aren't wheelchair accessible. Disabled visitors can bring a personal assistant free.

The Torchlight Procession route uses roads, cobbled streets and paths. Gender-neutral accessible toilets are at The Meadows, around the Street Party arena and behind the Gardens viewing platform. Assistance dogs are welcome, but the organisers warn of loud noise and fireworks. See the organisers' access information or contact the team.

The events are very busy and all standing. The organisers ask you to follow announcements, tell a steward or police officer about anything suspicious and call 999 in an emergency. Outdoor events can be cancelled at short notice in high winds, as they were on 30 December 2024; the organisers post weather updates across the four days.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for the United Kingdom (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.