Edinburgh's Hogmanay 2007-2008
What's Happening on New Year's Eve in Scotland's Capital City
Kasabian and Idlewild are two of the music acts playing at Edinburgh's Hogmanay Night celebrations when the city rocks and parties to see in the New Year of 2008.
The best place in the world to be on New Year's Eve is Edinburgh, when the whole city parties the night away with its famous Hogmanay celebrations. In fact there's so much celebrating to be done that Hogmanay now spreads over four days, and with top music acts like Idlewild and Kasabian lined up to entertain the hundreds of thousands of people who will flock to the Scottish capital to wave goodbye to 2007 and see in the new year, 2008.
The fun begins on Saturday 29th December at 6pm when the traditional Torchlight Procession sets off from Parliament Square on the Royal Mile. Last year 20,000 people turned up, creating a real river of flame that winds its way hrough the city streets to Calton Hill. You need to book online and pay £4 if you want to carry a torch, or pay £5 on the night although the number of torches is limited.
Sunday December 30th is the Night Afore Monster Ceilidh, a free event that kicks off at 8pm along George Street. On the main Ceilidh Stage will be Ashley MacIssac, Portobello Ceilidh Band and Strip the Willow. There will also be the Keilidh-oke Stage, the All-Dancin' Stage and, in the Assembly Rooms, the Auchenshoogle Mad Village Dance with the Jimi Shandrix Experience and Hugh McDiarmid's Haircut.
Monday December 31st is the big night, of course, with plenty of action to choose from. £5 buys you a Street party pass with events all over the city centre from 8pm. King Creosote will be on the Waverley Stage, Peter Hook DJs on the Mound Stage, and how can you miss the Red Hot Chilli Pipers on the Scott Monument Stage?
Alternatively you can pay from £37.50 for the Concert in the Gardens, in the Princes Street Gardens from 10pm. This is where you'll see Kasabian and Idlewild before midnight, with Calvin Harris and his band launching the 2008 New Year through till 1am.
If those don't grab you then there are also two full-on dance parties, The Hoog (£50) and the Hoog Royale (£60). The Hoog is in the Assembly Rooms and the Hoog Royale at the Queens Hall, both from 7:30pm-2am.
And if you think things will be quieter on New Year's Day, you've reckoned without the Scottish spirit. At 11am at the Moorings in South Queensferry is the Loony Dook, with a dip in the River Forth (fancy dress encouraged). At 12:30pm in Royal Commonwealth Pool and Holyrood Park is the Edinburgh Bicycle Triathlon. At 1pm from the top of the Royal Mile there's the One O'clock Run, at 1:30pm in Holyrood Park is the Dogmanay with teams of huskies followed at 2pm by the Iron Kids Duathlon.
Find out more about all these events, and how to book, how to get there, where to stay, how to get home again and much else besides on the official Edinburgh Hogmanay website.
