Four days of festivities ushering in the New Year begin this evening with the Torchlight Procession and will continue until New Year’s Day.
It is 30 years since Pete Irvine’s Unique Events set out a programme for everyone in Edinburgh to enjoy, moving the crowds away from the Tron where they had traditionally gathered on Hogmanay. From the days when everything closed down around New Year, Edinburgh is now the venue for the biggest party to usher in the New Year.
As a side benefit all fundraising from the four days will be paid to charity Social Bite, who help homeless people and who are working to stop homelessness.
Unique is again part of the partnership with Assembly which has taken the organisation of the New Year programme back under the control of an Edinburgh-based organisation.
Day by Day programme
- 29 December 2023
- The packed programme will begin on Friday with the Torchlight Procession blazing a trail through the city from the Meadows to Castle Terrace. The procession will be led by Shetland’s South Mainland Up Helly Aa’ Jarl Squad and there will be entertainment beforehand in the Meadows with fire performers, street theatre, pipe bands and drummers. The event will end with an Avenue of Fire on Castle Terrace.
Ho Ho Hogmanay will take place from 8pm to 9.30pm at Assembly Rooms on George Street with host Emmanuel Snub, Fred MacAulay, Larry Dean and Susie McCabe. Tickets £25.00. Click here.
- 30 December 2023
- Night Afore Disco Party with Greatest Hits Radio with ABBA sensations Bjorn Again and special guests the much-loved Massaoke in West Princes Street Gardens. This features a headline performance from ABBA sensations Björn Again joined by the fringe festival smash-hit Massaoke, for the ultimate party night out and the perfect Saturday night soundtrack to round off the year with ABBA’s greatest hits and pop classics.
Night Afore Hoolie with Blue Rose Code and special guests including Dean Owens and Caley Soul Band at Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street. This will be a hometown show to remember for Edinburgh born singer-songwriter Ross Wilson aka Blue Rose Code addressing universal themes of love, loss, home and faith in a deeply personal way and seamlessly blend folk, Americana, jazz, soul and pop influences into something truly unique.
- Scotland on Film – tickets £10/£7.50
- From Scotland with Love 1pm to 2.15pm in St Andrew Square Spiegeltent
- Gregory’s Girl 2.45pm to 5.15pm at St Andrew Square Spiegeltent
- Trainspotting 5pm to 6.30pm at St Andrew Square Spiegeltent
Contini are serving pre-event dining experiences at the Scottish Café & Restaurant at The National Gallery of Scotland each evening.
- 31 December 2023
- The Candlelit Concert at St Giles’ Cathedral featuring J.S.Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is already sold out.
- Bairns New Year Revels – a family-friendly daytime party in the Assembly Rooms including live music, Massaoke and ceilidh dancing.
- New Year Revels (adults only) at Assembly Rooms with a dedicated ceilidh room and a singalong track with Massaoke.
- Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party with Pulp and special guests Hot Chip DJ Set – tickets for the street or the gardens. Around 40,000 attendees are expected from all over the world to bring in the bells in the way only Scotland can.
- This year visitors can enjoy everything from a Silent Disco with partners Silent Adventures in the Disco Zone, to thrill rides, stilt walkers to steel drums, street food and Hogmanay Bars, as well as festival headliners Pulp relayed onto Giant Screens across the arena, plus a night of Scottish music at the Tartan Zone on Waverley Bridge from the Hannah Fisher Ceilidh Band and Kinnaris Quintet, headlined by Elephant Sessions.
- Concert in the Gardens with live music from Pulp and support from Hot Chip (DJ Set), illuminations and fireworks at hourly intervals from 9pm
- Street Party Silent Adventures Mega Silent Disco from 9pm to 12.45pm (This requires purchase of a full Street Party ticket to access the arena) 4,000 person silent disco hosted by the Silent Adventures Team featuring DJ James Longworth and Special Guests.This year partygoers can also tune into the official fireworks soundtrack at midnight and dance their way into 2024.
The Midnight Moment with fireworks from Edinburgh Castle all set to music will usher in the New Year.
- 1 January 2024
- Sprogmanay is for children – and it’s free. It takes place at the National Museum of Scotland and at Assembly Roxy with music by Sprog Rock and entertainment from Magic Gareth, arts and crafts at the Resolution Tree, live ceilidhs and the Unicorn Dance Party.
- Sprogmanay Family Ceilidh is at Assembly Roxy with Fruit Ceilidh Band calling the dances
- First Footin’ is a free day of live music curated by musician Aidan O’Rourke of Lau will take place at a variety of venues in the city centre with live music and performances in pubs and venues in the Old and New Towns. Music from Lau, Bemz, Hot Chip, Kathryn Joseph, Fergus McCreadie, Benz, and Becky Sikasa in iconic venues such as Greyfriars Kirk, Virgin Hotel, Assembly Rooms and St Giles’ Cathedral as well as many others.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is one of Edinburgh’s eleven festivals. It was first created in 1993 and has turned the capital into the Home of Hogmanay with 3.25 million party people enjoying the entertainment in the last 30 years.
- Edinburgh based producers Unique Events & Assembly Festival joined forces in 2022 to form UniqueAssembly, and are contracted to create and produce the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festival until 2024
- Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2023/24 is a key part of Scotland’s winter tourism calendar, generating more than £48 million in economic benefit, with over 85,000 people anticipatedto attend events in the city for the four-day celebrations
Festival Directors for UniqueAssembly who produce Edinburgh’s Hogmanay on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council said: “It’s a particularly special year as we mark the 30th anniversary of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay with a spectacular four-day programme jam-packed with events. We’re thrilled to bring back traditional Hogmanay events such as the Torchlight Procession and the original indoor Hogmanay party the New Year Revels, as well as welcoming this year’s incredible headliners Pulp to entertain the Concert in the Gardens. Whether you’re heading along for a disco dance at the Night Afore, a family ceilidh at Bairns New Year Revels or enjoying some laughs at Ho-Ho-Hogmanay, we’re looking forward to welcoming old friends and new across this year’s events.”
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m sure I speak for the whole city when I say how excited I am for the 30th anniversary edition of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
“From the incredible Torchlight Procession through to Pulp seeing us into 2024 and so much more we’re really fortunate to have such excellent events on offer for our residents and visitors. The First Footin’ showcases an excellent range of free music and performance from Scottish rap artists to jazz, alt-rock and more.
“Not only is Hogmanay an Edinburgh institution but it is also a major contributor to our city’s economy, providing jobs and commercial opportunities for our local residents and businesses.
“This is a time where we can celebrate the best of our city as one-year closes and look ahead with pride and positivity to the next. I want to thank the organisers, our partners and of course Council colleagues who have worked tirelessly on this event and will continue to in the coming days.
“I wish everyone in the Capital a fantastic Hogmanay and a very happy New Year.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
