Leave it to the fair citizens of Edinburgh to ring in the Scottish New Year, known as Hogmanay, in style! New Years celebrations are held world-wide but scarcely is there a better place to party than in Edinburgh. This years Edinburgh Hogmanay 2018 festival spans three days from December 30th 2017 through January 1st 2018.
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Edinburgh Hogmanay Torchlight Procession
The Hogmanay festival begins with the unbelievably gorgeous torchlight procession which wends its way through Edinburgh. Thousands of celebrants carry lit torches to create a visual “river of fire” from Parliament Square on the Royal Mile to Calton Hill. The crowning spectacle is the dazzling Son et Lumiere fireworks show on Calton Hill, which sets the city skies alight. Torches will be available for purchase in advance on www.edinburghshogmanay.com for £6 each or you can buy them on the night for £7. Proceeds from the sale of torches go to local charites Radio Forth Cash for Kids and Barnardo’s Scotland.
Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party
Then it is time for the Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party with live bands on multiple stages performing before enthusiastic crowds. Partiers can patronize the many outdoor bars while listening and dancing to live music. The Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party is a ticket only event and takes place just off Princes Street with the Concert in the Gardens featuring a host of Scottish and international music acts, running along side in West Princes Street Gardens.
Similar to an Irish Ceili, the Keilidh in Resolution Square takes place within an exclusive area of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Here you can dance along to traditional Scottish music, with a Ceilidh Caller teaching the crowd the various steps.
Edinburgh Hogmanay 2018 tickets
Tickets for the 2018 events are now on sale from edinburghshogmanay.com. Tickets for the Street Party cost £15, Concert in the Gardens tickets are £40/£35 and the Keilidh tickets are £35. Tickets for the Concert in the Gardens and the Keilidh also grant you access to the Street Party. All tickets booked from Ireland will be mailed out by early December. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Box Office – International Enquiries 0044 131 226 0000.
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New Year’s Day in Edinburgh
Visitors who are either brave or loony or both may later opt to participate in the Loony Dook, a wintery splash into the chilly waters of the River Forth. This eccentric event raises significant funds every year for local charities so those who dare venture in can be assured their sacrifices will be rewarded! The Loony Dock swim is a ticket only event, with tickets going on sale in October.
The One O’Clock Run begins at Edinburgh Castle and sees runners head downhill along the one mile route, passing through the Royal Mile and finishing in Holyrood Park. This is a ticket only event (Entry £8), which usually sells out early. Registration on the day begins at 11am at Edinburgh Castle, where you will exchange your ticket for an official T-shirt.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is an unforgettable New Year’s experience not to be missed!