Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party (tickets are £25 | read a review) is perhaps the best-known event in the 3-day Edinburgh's Hogmanay Festival. The New Year's Eve Street Party is a ticketed event that takes place the length of Princes Street, with live bands, and dancing in the street.

The street party climaxes with the bells of Big Ben at midnight, and a dramatic fireworks display above Edinburgh Castle and from Calton Hill to herald in the New Year. This is followed by a joining of hands as the crowd sings Auld Lang Syne, much kissing, and more partying into the wee wee hours both on the street and around the city.

The festivities get going when the stages and screens go live at 9pm. Access is by street party ticket and booze is permitted so long as it is not in cans and glass containers. There are also some pay bars and food outlets within the street party area. Ticket pass-outs are not permitted (leaving the arena and trying to gain re-entry) and there is also no entry after 11pm (or earlier if the police are worried about crowd safety).

The Concert In The Gardens also takes place within the Street Party cordon and the The Old Town Ceilidh (replacing the Keilidh) will this year feature two stages on the Royal Mile. These ticketed events, also give you access to the Street Party.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party has been scaled back in recent years from 180,000/200,000 of the millennium event to around 80,000 and takes place within a smaller cordoned-off area.

Free night buses are laid on for revellers. 

2016-2017 Hogmanay Music

Waverley Stage: The Charlatans headline.

Castle Stage Celtic inspired sounds from Salsa Celtica, Manran, Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton.

The Frederick Stage Disco and singalong classics with DJs/dancers Guilty Pleasures. VJ’s Buttercup and Pixel will provide visuals.

Mound Stage Jazz & Blues themed stage with Edinburgh favourites James Brown is Annie, Brass Gumbo and Blues n Trouble.

There's also traditional music and dancing at the popular, ticketed Old Town Ceilidh and the headline Concert in the Gardens (you need a paid ticket for both of these stages.) In 2016/2017, West Coast star Paolo Nutini headlines the "Concert in the Gardens".