Scotland, United Kingdom — Events
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is Edinburgh’s famous New Year’s celebration, when the entire city becomes one huge party. In fact, it is so popular that entry to the city is open only to those with advance tickets. Over the years the organization of Hogmanay has become increasingly professional, and a slick festival-style event, attracting major international musicians and bands who perform in the castle or the city’s botanical gardens. Visitors are well advised to book tickets and accommodation beforehand, due to the sheer size of this event.
Glasgow International Comedy Festival
The Glasgow International Comedy Festival is about more than just stand-up, featuring an extensive program spanning all forms of comedy with something to suit all tastes and ages. There are live stand-up shows by some of the biggest names in comedy, as well as character acts, political satirists, classic family variety acts, children’s entertainment, workshops, and comedy film classics and theater.
International Street Market
The bustling and exciting International Street Market offers visitors and locals alike a chance to browse and purchase goods from Europe and the UK, with over 70 stalls offering anything from food and crafts to gardening supplies. The market takes place over a weekend in two separate venues.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Every Easter the city becomes a gigantic laboratory of discovery, exploration and entertainment, as non-stop shows, demonstrations, hands-on activities, workshops and exhibitions are presented to educate and astonish all ages. The Edinburgh International Science Festival is designed to encourage discovery about the sciences and amazing technological events, such as outer space, our planet, the inner body and modern gadgets.
West End Festival
Every summer the Bohemian West End becomes the stage for performances, film, music, street parties and exhibitions. Festival Sunday is the highlight of the celebrations with the famous Midsummer Carnival and Street Party taking over Byres Road in a swirling procession of color and dancing, with a variety of other activities in the area. The day is filled with street theater, funfair rides and stalls, comedy shows, a farmer’s market, art fairs, music performances and regular features such as Shakespeare in the Park.
Glasgow Jazz Festival
One of the biggest jazz festivals in Europe, the Glasgow Jazz Festival infects the small Merchant City area with a celebratory atmosphere, spilling out onto the streets from the bars in the neighborhood and from the main open-air stage in George Square. Musicians from around the world flock to the city to take part in lively concert performances that have attracted huge crowds every the year.
Aberdeen Highland Games
The beautiful Hazelhead Park comes alive with kilt-wearing, burly Scotsmen and women participating in a number of traditional Highland Games such as Caber Tossing and Hammer Throwing. Soak up the true Scottish atmosphere with pipe band competitions, giddy highland dancing and various exciting, often alarming, traditional games that date back more than 1000 years. There is also a funfair, children’s events and plenty of food and drink to add to the atmosphere. For more information phone (0)1224 288828 or email Aberdeen@visitscotland.com.
T in the Park
Scotland’s biggest music festival, T in The Park, attracts party animals from across the United Kingdom every year for three days of unrivalled musical madness. Always serving up only the finest musical acts and sought after bands, the festival guarantees world class entertainment around the clock. Boasting that the festival becomes Scotland’s sixth biggest city over the weekend, the event organizers promise that this years headliners, will be just as good as the last.
Highland Games
No visit to Scotland is complete without a visit to one of the many Highland Games that take place between June and September each year. The first Highland Games were held more than a thousand years ago, prompted by clan chiefs and kings. Events served a variety of sporting, martial and religious purposes. The Clan Chiefs used the games to recruit people - race winners made good messengers at a time when there were no proper roads. The strongest men were employed as bodyguards, and the pick of the dancers and pipers were also chosen - both to entertain and to reflect well on the clan.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Part of the greater Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe Festival is one of the world’s largest and most famous art festivals, which had its beginning when unofficial theater groups set up their shows around the fringes of the main festival in 1947. Unlike the official festival, performers do not need to undergo a selection process to take part, and as a result it attracts a huge diversity of entertainers with hundreds of shows expressing a wide range of cultural and artistic performances.
