Other countries go crazy at Halloween. In Britain, not just Edinburgh, Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, is marked with fiery celebrations across the land.
The celebration may share roots with Halloween, and the pagan Samhuinn and Hogmanay celebrations, marking the start of the "dark days"; but Bonfire Night's date originates from the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 by a group of English Catholics to blow up the House of Lords. The goal of the Gunpowder Plot was to kill the protestant James VI of Scotland and I of England.
However, Guy Fawkes was discovered skulking in the cellars of parliament on 5th November with a pile of gunpowder, arrested, and executed shortly thereafter. Hence Bonfire Night is always on 5th November ("remember, remember").
Public celebrations involve the burning of effigies ("the Guy") on a bonfire, fireworks, dancing, dunking for apples, roasting potatoes, and such like.
Edinburgh Guy Fawkes, Bonfires, and Fireworks
It was billed as Scotland's biggest Bonfire Night event but the Fawkes Festival event at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston announced just weeks before the event that it is hitting the "pause" button this year.
We also haven't seen the return of the annual Hopetoun Fireworks and Bonfire Night in the stately home in South Queensferry, after flooding caused its late cancellation in 2023. However, another stately home, Arniston House and Estate's Fireworks and Bonfire Night near Gorebridge returns again this year.
Within Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Diwali 2025 takes place on the 2nd November in the New Town from the afternoon through to evening. A free, mini festival with a parade and Scottish and Indian music, it climaxes with a fireworks display in Princes Street Gardens around 6.30pm.
The popular SLA Fireworks display also takes place on Sunday 2nd November, although tickets sell-out well in advance.
There are many smaller community Bonfire Night events in Edinburgh and also other fiery events around this time of year. The Celtic Samhuinn Fire Festival, organised by the Beltane Fire Festival, bursts into life on Halloween Night with its dramatic mix of pagan ceremony and pulsating drums.
Edinburgh's fireworks and winter fire festivals are popular and you should note that ticketed events often sell out in advance.
Edinburgh has also placed more restrictions, in recent years, on areas of the city that fireworks events can take place to deter anti-social behaviour and to protect animals, after a fireworks-related death of a baby panda at Edinburgh Zoo.
Guy Fawkes celebrations near Edinburgh
Some towns near Edinburgh may have their own celebrations on or near the evening of the 5th. Community events are often free or by donation. Some are ticketed like Linlithgow Rugby Club Fireworks display (£8.30, or £27.80 for a family 5). Linlithgow is 20 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley by train.
These community events are also generally much smaller and so don't promote the events widely due to problems in the past with parking and crowds.
For example, East Lothian Council announced 2023's Musselburgh's Guy Fawkes Fireworks display, at Musselburgh Racecourse, was cancelled out of concern for wildlife at nearby Levenhall Links. An independently run bonfire and fireworks display in the Pinkie area of Musselburgh is still going ahead again this year though.
Haddington returns with a fireworks display in 2025. The event has had a few up and down years since the pandemic. It was cancelled in 2022 "due to price increases", bounced back in 2023, cancelled in 2024, and now is back again.
Cockenzie and Port Seton's Fireworks in East Lothian, and East Lothian Yacht Club's Firework Display at the harbour in North Berwick also announced that they were not going ahead in 2022 with their usual displays and have not made announcements for 2025 events.
Meadowbank Stadium also used to host an annual fireworks display before the sports centre was redeveloped.