Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations include four spectacular days of events to ring in the New Year.
The home of Hogmanay boasts a new programme of events which will for the first time take place in the capital’s McEwan Hall as part of this year’s Hogmanay week celebrations.
This includes a special performance by Welsh singer-songwriter Charlotte Church and an opening event for the annual Torchlight Procession which will once again launch New Year celebrations around the world.
Celebrations kick off at The Meadows on 29th December with the annual Torchlight Procession which sets the city streets ablaze with a river of fire created from 15,000 torch bearers. Creating a carnival atmosphere with live street theatre, fire performers and drummers, the Massed Pipes & Drums and Vikings from Shetland’s South Mainland Up Helly Aa’ Jarl Squad (SMUHA) will then lead the procession through the capital’s historic Old Town.
Following the Torchlight Procession, revellers can return to McEwan Hall for the opening night concert where Blazin’ Fiddles will host guest Gaelic singer Karen Matheson of Capercaillie, who will join the fiddle band.
The Night Afore Party on 30th December then sees Princes Street Gardens ignite for a raucous night of high-energy tunes from Scots rockers The Fratellis to start your Hogmanay musical line-up with a bang.
Making their Edinburgh’s Hogmanay debut and marking 20 years of seminal album Costello Music, The Fratellis headline a very special Night Afore Party beneath Edinburgh Castle. One of Scotland’s most iconic live bands, The Fratellis burst onto the scene with their era-defining debut album Costello Music in September 2006, delivering anthemic hits including Chelsea Dagger, Whistle for the Choir and Henrietta.
Revellers will then ring in 2027 at the world famous Street Party which returns to light-up Edinburgh’s skies. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Edinburgh Castle, this year 45,000 revellers from around the globe, will party their way into 2027 with a feast of entertainment throughout the city centre.
Featuring live music, DJ’s, giant screens, international street theatre, pipers, drummers, funfair attractions, street food and drink and the return of pyrotechnic wizards Titanium designing one of the world’s best New Year firework displays.
Party-goers will then dance into the new year with UK dance legends Underworld headlining Hogmanay in the Gardens with special guests still to be announced.
Making their Edinburgh Hogmanay debut, Underworld’s only Scottish performance of 2026 will include a special performance of their iconic dance anthem Born Slippy (Nuxx) - a song ingrained in Scottish culture since featuring in Danny Boyle’s seminal film Trainspotting in 1996. Their Hogmanay performance will follow a series of rave-reviewed shows earlier this year which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the legendary track.
For the first time ever in the event’s history, the world-renowned Midnight Moment Fireworks display will be soundtracked live by Underworld on the Main Stage in West Princes Street Gardens, creating an unforgettable light, projection and firework extravaganza, all set beneath the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
Closing the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations in McEwan Hall is the return of last year’s sell-out event Muckle Be The Light on New Year’s Day where Edinburgh’s Makar Michael Pedersen will perform with Charlotte Church, poet Hollie McNish and wildlife TV presenter and cameraman Gordon Buchanan, who will discuss the natural world saved his life, including close encounters with lions, tigers and bears.
Singer and musician Julie Fowlis will also perform alongside a band comprising Éamon Doorley, Michael McGoldrick, Tony Byrne and Duncan Chisholm, on 30th December.
Rob Dickson, director of industry and events at VisitScotland, said: “The Torchlight Procession is such a special event, and we’re thrilled to support it once again. Hogmanay is a defining moment in Edinburgh’s winter calendar, bringing communities and visitors together to celebrate the new year while showcasing the city’s rich culture and traditions.
“Edinburgh’s Hogmanay forms part of a wider portfolio of events and festivals aimed to attract visitors across the winter season, helping to support Scotland’s development as a year-round destination.”
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Photo credit: Andy Catlin