Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is one of the biggest New Years Eve celebrations in the world. We celebrated last New Years at the Hogmanay Street Party and it was a super busy night packed with music and entertainment, followed by the most spectacular firework display we’ve ever seen.
Tickets to the Hogmanay street party were £21 each and there was seemingly endless entertainment with rides, entertainment, food stalls & live music! There were plenty of bars to buy drinks but you were also allowed to bring four cans of alcohol in per person.
We’d planned to have a few drinks throughout the night but the lines for the toilets were so ridiculous that we ended up only having one each.
We knew the street party would be super busy and it was okay until about 11pm. After 11pm we couldn’t move at all with the crowds as everyone had settled in to wait until midnight for the fireworks. It was also crazy once the fireworks has finished as there was only one exit and so many people.
My advice would be to not be smack bang near the middle, either stand near the exit for a quick escape after the fireworks, or to the side if you’re happy to wait quite a while to leave.
The worst part of the street party was the lines for the toilets. I honestly think there was about 1 toilet for every 1,000 people – it was ridiculous. If we were ever to return to Edinburgh for Hogmanay, I don’t think we would bother with the street party again just because of how busy it was and the ridiculous toilet lines. I think we’d just pay the money for a restaurant with a view of the fireworks.
On a much more positive note, the fireworks were by far the best part of the entire evening! There were a few smaller firework displays throughout the night but the main show was at midnight. The fireworks were set off from Edinburgh Castle and they were without a doubt, the most impressive fireworks we’ve ever seen! They went for such a long time and it was amazing!!!
I can’t imagine a better backdrop for fireworks than the castle, it was truly magical.
As there were a lot of people around, it was super important to always be mindful of our belongings and keep them close. I always travel with a cross-body bag, similar to the gorgeous ones at Radley London which I find is the best way to keep my valuables safe!
We had such a fun New Years at the Hogmanay Street Party in Edinburgh. The crowds, as expected, were ridiculous but the fireworks made it 100% worthwhile!
Read more: Hogmanay Torch Procession
This post was written in collaboration with Radley London.
All opinions, as always are our own.