This 31 October, Edinburgh’s cobbled Royal Mile will once again host the country’s most spectacular Hallowe’en night event. The Samhuinn Fire Festival celebrates the Celtic New Year, marking the end of summer and welcoming the onset of winter.
The event, starting at 9pm, takes the form of a stunning torchlit performance along the Royal Mile to West Parliament Square, with wild drumming, acrobatics, fire-dancing, intricate costumes and battles between the forces of summer and winter.
Erin McElhinney, Co-Festival Secretary for the Beltane Fire Society said:
“The Samhuinn Fire Festival is one of the most atmospheric events held in Edinburgh each year. Our volunteers stage a modern re-imagining of an ancient Celtic festival that marked the end of the final harvests, and the beginning of the leaner, harder winter period. It plays out in Edinburgh’s old town, with an audience of thousands, and this year we’re delighted to be returning to our usual start time of 9pm and our traditional home, the Royal Mile and West Parliament Square.
Photo: beltane.org
“Those who come to witness the festival can expect a spectacle unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Dozens of characters in intricate costumes will appear from the side streets of Edinburgh’s old town, bringing
drums and fire to create an eerie, epic (and to be frank slightly mad) performance, enacting stories of the changing seasons. Otherworldly figures will process by torch-light along the cobbled streets, drumming, dancing with fire, clowning and performing. The kings of summer and winter and their courts will face off in a final battle to decide whether summer will continue or if winter will set in; all will be overseen by the traditional mysterious Celtic crone figure, the Cailleach.
“It’s a truly unique event, harking back to a traditional celebration that is centuries old. It takes place right in the heart of Scotland’s most beautiful city, and what’s more, you don’t need a ticket; all we ask is that you donate what you can to our bucketeers on the night, so we can continue staging these wonderful events.”
The event will be on Hallowe’en night (31 October) from 9pm until 11pm on the Royal Mile. No tickets are required, attendance is by donation. The event is organised by the Beltane Fire Society, a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.
Samhuinn Fire Festival is a modern re-imagining of an ancient celtic festival marking the end of summer and rise of winter. The modern event has been held in Edinburgh since 1995. Its spring and summer counterpart, Beltane, takes place on Calton Hill on the last day of April each year, and has been running since
1988.
