I spent New Year’s Eve 2024/2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland for its grand, internationally renowned Hogmanay festival! Hogmanay in Edinburgh had long been on my “bucket list” and I was super pumped for all of the Hogmanay events. Unfortunately for me, most  Hogmanay events were cancelled in 2024/2025 at the last minute due to “extreme” winds… which did not really pan out. Regardless, I still had a wonderful time in Edinburgh celebrating Hogmanay.  And, I did A LOT of advance research on Hogmanay events available for the foreign public to attend. This post compiles my research for those attending Hogmanay next year. And full disclosure, I am no expert nor am I Scottish – I am simply sharing my research.

HOGMANAY IN SCOTLAND!

Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve, and Hogmanay is a BIG holiday in Scotland. Having been celebrated since at least the early 1600s, Hogmanay is now synonymous with festive merrymaking on December 31st in Scotland (not just Edinburgh). Scottish celebrate the arrival of the new year with family, parties, music and good fun. Trust me when I say this is more than a big New Years Eve celebration or party, Hogmanay is a legitimate holiday, similar to Christmas in my opinion, and its incredibly important to the Scottish people. We learned from our local tour guides that one important Hogmanay custom is “First Footing”, where family and friends celebrate the New Year at midnight and the following day by visiting each other’s homes with gifts of Scottish whisky and coal.

Hogmanay is celebrated across Scotland, but the largest celebration, and the most accessible to non-Scottish visitors, is in Edinburgh, Scotland’s gorgeous capital. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration generally lasts four days, with the biggest celebration being a grand street party on December 31st.  Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is welcoming and accessible to foreigners, but it requires advance planning, and most events require a ticket.

EDINBURGH’S MAIN HOGMANAY EVENTS

All of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events are cataloged on its official website here. I found this website incredibly helpful and returned to it frequently leading up to my visit. I suggest checking it beginning a few months in advance. Based on my research, I found the “biggest” Hogmanay events to be those referenced here, in time order below.

Torchlight Procession: The Hogmanay Torchlight Procession is the first official Edinburgh Hogmanay event and it exactly what it sounds like, a parade of real people parading through Edinburgh with real torches lit with real fire. This procession kicks off Hogmanay every year on December 29th! Both locals and foreigners can participate in the Torchlight Procession, but advance tickets are necessary. The Torchlights Procession generally goes through Edinburgh’s old town and lasts from about 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, although those participating should prepare to spend much of the day lining up for the Torchlight Procession beginning midday. We planned to watch the Torchlight Procession from the street right in front of Greyfrair’s Bobby Pub, but it was cancelled about an hour before it was due to start due to wind. BOOOOO. We still had a decent pint at Greyfrair’s Bobby Pub, which is a wonderful pub. According to the city of Edinburgh, the Torchlight Procession generally “presents a carnival atmosphere, with live Street Theatre, Fire Performers, and Drummers getting everyone warmed-up, before the Massed Pipes & Drums and Vikings from Shetland’s South Mainland Up Helly Aa’ Jarl Squad (SMUHA) lead the procession through the capital’s historic Old Town.” I am sad that we missed this; it sounded like a great time.

Hogmanay Candlelight Concert in St. Giles Cathedral: There is a classical concert in St. Giles Cathedral that lasts about 90 minutes every Hogmanay (December 31st). We skipped this intentionally due to a packed day, but that was an unfortunate decision as this ended up being the only Hogmanay event that went forward as planned. You definitely need tickets for this event, and they sold out in 2024 a month in advance. We did visit St. Giles Cathedral on the morning of December 31st without issue; it is a beautiful church that shouldn’t be missed.

Hogmanay Street Party: The Hogmanay Street Party is what most people think of when Edinburgh’s Hogmanay comes to mind. Basically, Princes Street, a main, modern thoroughfare abutting the new part of Edinburgh is closed for revelers to celebrate the new year, complete with live bands, DJ’s, street theatre and food and alcohol stands (and restrooms!). Visitors should buy tickets in advance online and pay close attention to the entrance gate designated with your ticket. While I did not have the privilege of attending the Street Party, I understand that you cannot leave, that portable restrooms are available and that guest can bring in 4 sealed alcoholic beverages per person to consume during the Street Party. The Street Party beings around 7 or 8 PM and lasts well into the night. Food and drink are sold within the party.

Concert in the Gardens: Inside the Hogmanay Street Party is a separate Concert in the Gardens area, which requires an additional, more expensive, ticket. We did not intend to participate in the Concert in the Gardens, but I understood the band to be better than the usual bands in the Street Party and the space to be less crowded. This sold out quite early last year (long before the St. Giles concert), so get tickets early if interested.

Midnight Fireworks from Edinburgh Castle: I was most excited about the midnight fireworks from Edinburgh Castle. We saw the fireworks being set up at Edinburgh Castle on the 28th but, due to high winds, the fireworks were cancelled and we saw ZERO fireworks on NYE 2025. Dan says we are going somewhere warm next year! For those going next year, I understand that you can see these fireworks from pretty much anywhere in town.

New Year’s Day: We left for Glasgow on January 1st, but there are many free things to do throughout New Year’s Day in Edinburgh. If you are visiting on January 1st, know that this is a bank holiday (as is January 2nd) and no trains run on January 1st.

OTHER EVENTS HAPPENING IN EDINBURGH DURING HOGMANAY

While in Edinburgh for Hogmanay, many Christmas events are still ongoing, including Edinburgh’s Christmas Market. The Christmas Market is located near Edinburgh’s train station right between the old and new parts of town. Open all day, the Christmas market is a mix of carnival rides, food stalls, pop up bars, and shops (a few with local things, many with non-Scottish wares). Entrance is free and credit card is accepted everywhere. Spend 1 – 2 hours, more if you are really into the rides.

And, the Christmas Market is not the only Christmas event still going on at New Year’s. We squeezed in a few Christmas activities despite the holiday having passed, including a Christmas Tea at Edinburgh Castle and a Christmas tour of Holyroodhouse Palace.

In addition to Christmas events, numerous restaurants and bars host dinners and events on Hogmanay. We booked a tasting menu dinner at Cannonball Restaurant & Bar, just next to Edinburgh Castle. We went back and forth on this, but ultimately decided that we did not want to risk being outdoors in potentially very cold weather for several hours waiting for fireworks. It ended up working out very well since the Street Party was cancelled, but in my opinion a dinner reservation is not necessary if planning to attend the Street Party rather than a formal NYE dinner (just grab something quick beforehand). That being said, this fancy dinner did sell out and if this is something you want to do, reservations are mandatory.

THE WEATHER

Ah, the weather during Hogmanay. The # 1 thing people mentioned to us before we left….THE WEATHER. Well, the good news is that the weather in Scotland is often cold and rainy, so you are never guaranteed “good weather” and no time is a perfect time to visit (people also said this to us when we went to Dublin for New Year’s). We were pretty lucky – it was generally 7 – 10 Celsius when we visited. That being said, my Canada Goose jacket felt great, as the wind and dampness made Edinburgh feel colder than it was. We had a bit of rain during our four day stay, but only one real down pour. It did snow the day we left, so you can certain get less lucky than us (or more if you like snow). My recommendation is rather than worrying about the weather, pack things that you can layer and wear in various types of weather. On my must pack list for Edinburgh are waterproof shoes, warm socks, gloves, scarf, hat and things you can layer. Edinburgh also has many cute shops, so you can pick up anything you left at home in Edinburgh.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS FOR ATTENDING HOGMANAY IN EDINBURGH 

1. You need to start planning in October to get the best selection of hotels, restaurants, and tickets. I started back in August (!!) and that was far too early – no final information was available.
2. Book you hotels early (earlier than October) to get the best price.
3. Know that Edinburgh will be very busy during these days, as many Scottish people will come into town just for Hogmanay.
4. Prepare for all weather types. It was sunny and 10 Celsius our fist day in Edinburgh and snowing 4 days later.
5. Book Hogmanay event tickets in advance. Events began to book up about 1 month out in 2024/2025 (except Concert in the Gardens, which booked out earlier).
6. Regardless of your plans, I suggest making an NYE dinner reservation. We did this, and it really saved our NYE.
7. If you don’t have NYE reservations/tickets, head to the pubs early to get a spot. We visited a Grassmarket pub around 7:00 PM and got in easily. We also visited another Grassmarket pub after midnight and got in easily, although it was much more crowded.
8. All trains in Scotland close on New Years Day. You need to plan alternative transportation. For example, we had to book a van to drive us from Edinburgh to Glasgow on New Years Day.
9. While many of the events were cancelled in 2025/2025 due to bad weather (too windy!), Hogmanay events had not previously been cancelled in something like 20 years, so expect it to go forward.
10. January 1st AND January 2nd are bank holidays in Scotland, meaning many things will be closed on these days. This was a bit annoying for tour purposes.

STEAL OUR TRIP

Edinburgh Hogmanay website: This is the official Edinburgh Hogmanay website. You can buy tickets directly on this website.