The Night Afore (30 Dec, the night before Hogmanay) brings a display of light and fire on the Royal Mile and various special tours in popular visitor attractions. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Light Night follows a model borrowed from Paris and St Petersburgh where familiar city venues are opened and illuminated at night to present specially commissioned events and artists.
Venues have been tagged with their own type of nights. In "Legendry Night", Edinburgh Castle will be illuminated by light installations, and visitors will experience legendary stories of this world famous landmark and of Scotland in a uniquely new way.
In "Winter Light" at St. Giles Cathedral, a one-off performance, Fragile Pitches, will reflect the themes of light, space and fire in sound structures that compliment the experience of being in St Giles Cathedral at night.
In "Dark Light" there's a chance to visit Edinburgh’s most famous subterranean vaults at Mary King’s Close, at night. Visitors will experience the sights, sounds and even the smells of the street that time forgot and hear about the Great Fire of 1824 that changed the world.
In "Amber Light" you can join an exclusive tasting and private viewing of the world’s largest collection of Scotch whisky at the Scotch Whisky Experience. Visitors will enjoy a tasting of two very special Scotch whiskies in the glow of the illuminated Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection.
In "Home Light" follow a ghost tour by torchlight at the John Knox House, the home of the father of the Reformation in Scotland. "The first time in the evening for 450 years!" claim event organisers.
Meanwhile, the Royal Mile will be transformed into a spectacle of fire and light by internationally renowned performance and installation artists Carabosse.
Firelight on the High Street
Performance artists Carabosse bring an intriguing mix of ingredients to a specially commissioned show for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay called Firelight.
Included in the free public show, on the Royal Mile around the City Chambers will be:
- four metre wide fireballs
- projections of mechanical men flickering on the outside walls of St Giles Cathedral
- a furnace wheel billowing smoke and flames
- radios from a past age hanging from buildings transmitting the quiet chatter of conversation
- hollow three metre long tubes suspended in the street
- grey and industrial by day but flaring vividly after dark as the night air passes through
- live music in the City Chambers Quadrangle and drifting from Parliament Square