Hogmanay Street Festival
Country: Scotland
When: 31st December every year
Hogmanay is the Scottish word for “last day of the year”, so it should be no surprise that this festival is all about welcoming in the New Year.
The festival has a “street party” atmosphere and is celebrated with various local traditions in cities and towns across Scotland. Stonehaven, in the northeast, celebrates the New Year with “fireball swinging” while Falkland the local Fife community carries fire torches to the Lomond Hills at midnight.
The major cities including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Stirling, Invernesses and of course Edinburgh hold all-night-long celebrations. The festivities in Edinburgh are the most popular and regularly have over 300,000 in attendance.
Typically sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve, Auld Lang Syne has its origins in Scotland. It is a traditional poem which has been set to music.
Festival Videos
Key Highlights
- Concert in the Gardens – Held on Princes Street in central Edinburgh, the concert features big name artists, DJ’s and entertainers.
- World famous Fireworks display held at midnight in Edinburgh.
- The Royal Mile – a torchlight procession and a brilliant street party.
Edinburgh. A great pub culture and atmosphere all over the city – eat steak pie and stew and enjoy the all-night party.
Where is it
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland.
How to Get There
Edinburgh is easily accessed from Europe. Low cost European, domestic and international airline carriers fly into Edinburgh’s airport; located 20 minutes from the city centre. The taxi ride from the airport to the city should cost around 20 GBP.
Travelling by train to Edinburgh is very cost effective if you do not travel at peak times. Tickets from London range between 25 GBP and 85 GBP with trains departing from King’s Cross and Euston Station. The journey takes about 4.5 to 5 hours depending on the number of stops. Sleeper trains are also available but these are more expensive.
Edinburgh is a 6 to 7 hour drive from London. The most direct routes are via the M1 or the M6 motorways. Driving offers plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and stopping from time-to-time is an ideal way to break up the trip.
Where to stay
The Royal Mile is a great place from which to base yourself as there is plenty to do in the area. It is situated in the medieval part of Edinburgh and is the best location for finding hostels, B&B’s and cheap hotels. The Royal Mile is also home to many pubs and enables easy access to walking tours, street performances and the theatre.
Princes Street, located in the lower part of town, also offers excellent, if slight more expensive, accommodation options. There are also a few cheap hotels in the Docklands area but the nightlife there is not as vibrant. If you are planning to attend Hogmanay, you will have to book early regardless of where you are staying, as any vacancies tend to fill up fast.
Useful information
More information on Edinburgh Hogmanay festival and useful websites: