Edinburgh's Winter Festivals

Edinburgh is the best city in Britain for a Christmas break. Scotland's Capital is stunningly beautiful for the rest of the year too but at Christmas, it becomes a truly magical experience, the heart of Edinburgh's winter festival and here's why.

Christmas shopping, winter family fun and lots of other activities take place in a sparkling Edinburgh city centre. Hardly any other city in the world has the ability to bring excellent shopping and the magic of Christmas so close together, and at the centre of Edinburgh's Capital, as well.

Events and festive Christmas celebrations take place throughout the city from Princes Street itself with the Gardens, the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle in the Old Town to George Street in the New Town.

The winter festival in Edinburgh lasts for more than a month, starting with the Christmas Lights Switch On in late November, followed by Christmas time in fairytale-like Edinburgh, and finally, finishing off with the Hogmanay 4-day long celebrations.

Highlights of Capital Christmas in Edinburgh

There's no doubt that the best thing about Christmas in Edinburgh is the Winter Wonderland, a mix of fairground rides, Ferris Wheel, outdoor ice rink, hot food stands, Christmas fair and a traditional German Christmas market. These are all open for visitors for nearly 4 weeks.

Other Christmas events include the Santa Run, Edinburgh's attempt at breaking the record for the largest gathering of Santas, the Reindeer Gardens in West Princes Street Gardens and carol concerts throughout Scotland's Capital.

Edinburgh New Year 2009

Why not use 23 Mayfield Guest house as your base for all of the festivities.

Torch Light procession

Our iconic Torchlight Procession remains a favourite with Hogmanay festival goers of all ages. Held on Monday 29 December 2008, the event created a dramatic ‘river of fire’ through the city, from the the Royal Mile to Calton Hill.

The procession, which had a record crowd of around 25,000 in attendance, was led off from the City Chambers by the Up Helly Aa Vikings and the massed pipes and drums. A trail was blazed (literally!) through the centre of Edinburgh, down The Mound, along Princes Street and into Waterloo Place on its way to Calton Hill. The culmination of the procession on Calton Hill saw the lighting of fire sculptures along with music and other performers.

And to celebrate the beginning of the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2009, a special fire sculpture and effigy were burned - a Lion Rampant - one of the most recognizable Scottish symbols in the world.

The evening concluded with a sensational fireworks display that wowed the crowd and sent everyone on their way ready for the remaining Hogmanay festivities to come!

The whole evening raised funds for the One City Trust , with the proceeds from torches (£5 beforehand, £6 on the evening) going to the charity.

Family Hoog
www.thehoog.co.uk

Event Details
Date: Tuesday 30 December
Time: Stages live 7-10pm

George Street Assembly Rooms hosts the first ever Family Hoog and it's already sold out! This new event is aimed at age 9 and up and is Scottish ceilidh dancing, with a twist. On stage will be Whisky Kiss, (described by Alex Salmond as the best ceilidh band in the world) with some of Edinburgh’s best DJs. All dances will be properly called and feature all the favorites like Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordons with the occasional great clubbing riff. Ceilidh at is coolest, edgiest and some would say most fun! The Family Hoog is being held in aid of the Bethany Christian Trust. So polish up your pas de bas and get into the new ceilidh groove.

The Dancin

The Dancin' was our brand new free event celebrating dance in all its forms, programmed in collaboration with Dance Base. It celebrated dance and joie-de-vivre as well as heralding the arrival of the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2009.

The Dancin' also saw the new-look Grassmarket outdoor event space utilised to its full potential, with a crowd of around 10,000 in attendance.

The 10,000 crowd witnessed a dance spectacular over three stages, as well as DJ sessions and a bar in the architecturally award winning Dance Base studios. The crowed was wowed as the best in traditional and modern dance from around the world showcased in the newly laid out Grassmarket at the heart of the Old Town.

The showpiece of the evening was undoubtedly be ‘Bollywood Steps’, the show bringing together stunning choreography and specialists in pyrotechnics, quick costume changes, water effects and lighting to create a visual feast, all inspired by Bollywood. The crowd was treated to a feast of high-octane glamour, kitsch costumes and a mix of dance incorporating bhangra, hip-hop and classical dance.

Edinburgh Hogmany Street Party

The signature event of Edinburgh's Hogmanay, the Street Party, expanded this year to a 4-stage, 4-hour extravaganza of live music, lights, lasers and partying, not to mention sensational fireworks on the hour from through to midnight.

Glayva Ceildh in the Gardens

Edinburgh's famous Glayva Ceilidh in the Gardens gives a traditional outlet for seeing in the New Year but one with a twist, given the unique setting in East Princes Street Gardens. Reel in 2009 and jig out 2008 with our friends at Glayva who are this year's sponsors of the Ceilidh.

Candlelit Concert

A festive celebration in the atmospheric surroundings of the St Giles' Cathedral. This year's concert features Vivaldi's sparkling setting of the Gloria, and also celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Vaughan William's death with his Fantasia on Christmas Carols. Another seasonal touch is added with the Messe de Minuit, based on French Christmas melodies, by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. St Giles' Cathedral Choir, directed by Michael Harris, and the St Giles' Camerata, leader Angus Ramsay, are joined by a stunning array of young soloists. Not suitable for small children or babies.

Boogie Wonderland

Our brand new (but vintage seventies) spectacular event, Boogie Wonderland is added to this year's programme, making this year’s celebrations bigger and better than ever before.

Located in the Mound Precinct, Boogie Wonderland is set to be the funkiest gig in town and will give partygoers the perfect chance to dust off those platforms and get dressed up to the nines. A full-on tribute to the seventies hosted by Boogie himself, organisers are calling for ticket holders to dig out those shiny cat-suits, don those flairs and cheesy moustaches and groove under the glitter ball to a truly Top of the Pops, seventies soundtrack featuring a whole host of retro-tribute bands.

With an awesome line-up ready to set those disco lights flashing, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will invite on stage: ABBA Arrival, Ultimate Earth, Wind & Fire and The Soul Kings for what promises to be a night full of glamour, glitter, disco balls and more moves than Travolta could handle.

Paying homage to D I S C O and returning to Edinburgh after it’s success at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Silent Disco is back for one night only!

Silent Disco is a club night with a difference – to passers by there is no noise, hence silent disco, just a room full of people dancing away to their hearts content. As revellers sport wireless yellow, headphones, to set off their fantastic seventies ‘fros, they will be able to tune into a dedicated DJ channel playing retro pop classics.

New Years Day

Edinburgh's Bicycle Triathlon & Kids Duathlon
Time: 11.30am
Location: Holyrood Park (starts outside the Royal Commonwealth Pool)

Feet First

As the traditional doorway to the excitement of a New Year opens, Feet First will be a radical and accessible new event showcasing a wide range of outdoor performances by Scottish artists. Full details of this exciting new event will be announced in early November.

Loony Dook Jan 1st South Queensferry

Go ahead Jump in wear what you want its only a bit of cold water !!