Time to play
Bring in the bells with our world-class line-up of live music and fireworks
Every December, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay welcomes thousands of residents and visitors from around the world to join in events across the city.
This year, with the invitation Let’s Play, the three days of celebrations open on Friday 30 December with the spectacular Torchlight Procession.
Come and join 6,000 torchbearers creating a river of fire down the historic Royal Mile watched by over 20,000 spectators in a procession that culminates with a fantastic Son et Lumière show on Calton Hill.
The flagship Street Party on 31 December offers a world-class line-up of live music and DJ’s this year.
The UK’s top acts bringing in 2012 at the world-famous celebrations include two of the hottest bands of the summer festivals – The Vaccines and Friendly Fires, a special DJ set from the world-renowned Mark Ronson and Celtic superheroes Peatbog Faeries, together with Scottish traditional music legends Capercaillie.
The ever outrageous Cuban Brothers are joined by Fringe sell-outs Frisky & Mannish completing the headline acts for the five stages along Princes Street.
This fantastic line-up will be joined by special guests Kassidy, X-Factor’s Jade Richards and Radio 1 DJ’s Jaymo and Andy George.
The Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party is expected to welcome up to 80,000 revellers from Scotland and around the world and will culminate in two spectacular fireworks displays from the iconic Edinburgh Castle and from Calton Hill, which will herald the start of 2012.
Celebrations on Saturday 31 December also include The Concert in the Gardens which this year welcomes Scottish rockers Primal Scream, who will be performing their seminal 1991 album Screamadelica and a set of their greatest hits. They will be joined by special guests, Bombay Bicycle Club.
The popular Keilidh offers the very best in traditional Scottish music with Ceilidhdonia, Hugh MacDiarmid’s Haircut and the Jimmy Shandrix Experience birling through the bells.
On Sunday 1 January, to celebrate the launch of 2012: the Olympic year, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is reimagining the tradition of Scottish New Year Games, with entirely new experiences created by innovative Scottish artists, along with game design studio Hide&Seek.
Choose your team and join in an afternoon of fun, as the Uppie’s & Doonie’s compete in venues throughout the Old Town (National Museum of Scotland, The Hub, Dance Base, St Giles Cathedral and the Grassmarket) in a series of fun games between 2pm and 5.30pm, before a closing ceremony in the Grassmarket.
Need to know
For further information, to purchase tickets and to register for online updates visit www.edinburghshogmanay.com
The New Year Games are supported by the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.