New Year's in Scotland: Edinburgh is ablaze

Edinburgh Castle glows in the brightest colors - sometimes blue, sometimes magenta, sometimes yellow. It's impressive during the day, thanks to its location high above the city. But now it is illuminated in a rainbow of spotlights all evening, while live bands and DJs alternate on the large stage in the Princes Street Gardens below. And as if that wasn't enough, fireworks erupt over the Old Town of the Scottish capital every hour, culminating at midnight in an intricately choreographed show like no other.

It's Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year's Eve, celebrated in Edinburgh for 30 years with a gigantic open-air festival. Not just on a greenfield site - almost the entire city center along the shopping street Princes Street becomes the venue. Hogmanay is no longer a secret on the British Isles; it's arguably the most original way to ring in the New Year.

Usually, it takes a lot of convincing to persuade someone to attend an open-air festival in wintery Scotland in December. But before the pandemic, crowds like those at a major concert filled the not-so-narrow streets of Edinburgh. If you didn't get warm there, you were doing something wrong. That is expected to return, at least somewhat.

Twice, the festival had to be canceled in its original form due to the pandemic. Last year, the organizers cautiously tried to return to its former glory with a scaled-down program. This year, marking its 30th anniversary, Hogmanay is set to sparkle again as it did before the pandemic. Because of this, it will last a day longer this time - until January 1, says Alan Thomson, the festival's co-director.

'The best thing about Hogmanay is its location in the middle of Edinburgh,' Thomson enthuses. 'The castle above the main stage is an incredible attraction.' He is passionate about organizing - he participated in Hogmanay for the first time in 1996, back then as a private citizen. Since 2000, he has worked with a team every year to make it a success.

The festival started this year on Friday, for the first time since the pandemic, with the traditional torchlight procession. 20,000 participants walked with their torches through the center of Edinburgh for a good cause.

Yet despite torches, live music, and plenty of fun on the streets of the venerable former royal seat, everyone naturally anticipates one moment: the grand fireworks at midnight. 'This is the most important moment of Hogmanay,' says co-organizer Thomson. Since private fireworks are uncommon in Great Britain and mostly banned in public areas, everyone focuses on the big, organized events. Between the major tourist centers London and Edinburgh, it has almost become a competition. Here, the medieval castle; there, the Ferris wheel by the Thames.

Toby Alloway, managing director of Titanum Fireworks, knows all too well how challenging this is for a major event like Hogmanay. His company is responsible for the intricate rocket choreography. 'The entire preparation process takes more than six months,' reveals Alloway. 'The first creative step is to work with the soundtrack producers to splice together a series of songs to create the ideal structure for an exciting display choreography.'

Then, each of the approximately 4,000 rockets must be prepared. 'A team of 19 pyrotechnicians is on-site for a week to set up, wire, and fire the display.' Alloway has fulfilled a dream with his job: 'Fireworks have been a passion since my childhood,' he says.

Before the rockets are fired, the band Pulp will perform on New Year's Eve in the Princes Street Gardens. And while the large stages in the city center are usually dismantled on New Year's night, this time it will continue on January 1.

There will be music and activities at various locations throughout the city, including the Assembly Rooms, St. Giles' Cathedral, and Fruitmarket Warehouse. 'The idea is that you can't easily leave the city using public transportation on New Year's Day,' says co-organizer Thomson. 'So you might as well keep celebrating.'

The origins of Hogmanay trace back to the winter solstice festivities celebrated by the Vikings in December with extravagant parties.

For Alan Thomson, the festival stands for something else: for the next edition next year. 'We take only a short break after New Year's,' he says, 'then we begin planning for Hogmanay 2024.'

Arrival: Direct flights to Edinburgh in Scotland are available from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and Houston with major airlines such as Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines. Connecting flights are available via London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam with British Airways, Lufthansa, and KLM.

Hogmanay: The festival began on Friday, December 29, 2023, and will end on January 1, 2024. Fireworks take place hourly from 8 PM on December 31st. The grand fireworks follow at midnight.

The trip was supported by Visit Scotland. The editorial staff alone decides the selection and orientation of the content.

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