Edinburgh's Hogmanay

THURSDAY 29 DECEMBER 2005

Torchlight Procession

Meet at Parliament Square, 6:30pm

The capital's Hogmanay celebrations begin on 29 December with this event. Grab yourself a flaming torch and join a procession through the city streets, or simply find a vantage point from which to appreciate the "river of fire". Among this year's guests are Shetland's Up Helly Aa Vikings - experts when it comes to burning things.

• Vouchers for torches cost 4 in advance or 5 on the night. All money goes to Radio Forth's Help A Child Appeal and One City Trust. Purchase vouchers in advance from Edinburgh's Hogmanay ticket outlets, then get the torches by St Giles' Cathedral from 4:30pm on the day.

FRIDAY 30 DECEMBER 2005

Night Afore International

George Street, 8pm UNTIL 11pm

Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations have a Catalan theme this year, and nowhere is this more strongly reflected than in the line-up for the annual night afore fiesta. Highlights include a traditional "parada" with Catalan performers from Barcelona and Figueras; the incredible Castellers from Terrassa, who will attempt to create a human tower with more than 150 people; and the street theatre company L'Avalot Present Dinomaquia, who will present a "dragons and fireworks" street show.

Scotland will be represented on the Ceilidh Stage outside the Assembly Rooms, where the Portobello Ceilidh Band and Australian piper Mark Saul will perform. Caller Wilma Henderson will lead the 15,000-strong crowd in what organisers hope will be the world's longest Strip-the-Willow.

• The event is free and unticketed.

SATURDAY 31 DECEMBER 2005

Candlelit Concert

St Giles' Cathedral, High Street, 7:30pm

The St Giles' Cathedral Choir teams up with the Scottish Ensemble to perform a festive programme that includes Vivaldi's Gloria and Bach's Magnificat. Master of the Music Michael Harris will direct the choir; the organ soloist is Peter Backhouse.

Royal Bank Street Party

City Centre, 10pm until 1am

Is this the best New Year's party in the world? More than 100,000 people every year certainly seem to think so.

There are going to be four stages this year (down from five in 2004). The hilarious Hayseed Dixie, who subvert well-known rock songs by playing them in a frantic bluegrass style, will headline the Hoolie Stage at the top of the Mound. They will be joined by traditional fiddle group, the Fraser MacNaughton Band, and Sandy Brechin's band, Buarach. Over at the Party Stage at Princes Mall, the Tartan Dholis will perform their blend of Scottish and Sikh music; self-styled King of Cheesy Pop, the Great Calverto, will be belting out the kind of catchy yet toe-curling songs most people file under "guilty pleasures" in their CD collection; and DJ Motherfunk will keep the party going into the wee sma' hours.

The remaining stages - the Urban Dance Stage and the Waverley Stage - will be at Mound Square and the bottom of Waverley Bridge respectively. In keeping with the Catalan theme, the main event on the Urban Dance Stage will be a breakdance battle between the Fallen Angels of Barcelona and Edinburgh's own Random Aspekts, while the Waverley Stage will be a clued-up muso's paradise, with sets from bands-of-the-moment Sons and Daughters and Hard-Fi.

• Entry to the Street Party is only possible with a Street Party pass. At time of going to press, passes were only available by purchasing an Edinburgh's Hogmanay Club Party Pack or shelling out for Edinburgh's Hogmanay Club Festival Membership (see tickets and passes, opposite). There will be no entry to The Royal Bank Street Party after 11pm, so you are advised to come early.

Concert in the Gardens

West Princes Street Gardens, 10pm until 1am

As usual, the line-up for this year's Concert in the Gardens is mighty impressive and - better still - it's 100 per cent homegrown. Safe bets Texas top the bill, but recent breakthrough artists KT Tunstall and El Presidente will doubtless prove just as popular with the punters, if not more so.

• The event is standing only. Tickets are sold out.

Ceilidh in the Gardens

East Princes Street Gardens and Mound Square, 10pm until 1am (gates open at 9pm)

Just when you thought they couldn't possibly squeeze any more Hogmanay events into Edinburgh City Centre, along come Shooglenifty, Karine Polwart, Croft No 5 and friends to hold a giant ceilidh slap bang in the middle of town.

The only way to get into this shiny new event is to buy Edinburgh's Hogmanay Club Festival Membership - not cheap at 45 - but if there's a better ceilidh line-up anywhere in Scotland this New Year, we've yet to hear about it. Oh, and that 45 also buys you a Royal Bank Street Party pass, a limited edition hat and a special Hogmanay DVD, so you can't say you're not getting your money's worth.

Seven Hills Fireworks

All over Edinburgh, midnight

At the bells, the skies above Edinburgh explode into life as more than eight tonnes of fireworks are set off from the city's seven hills in just four minutes: Corstorphine Hill, Braid Hill, Blackford Hill, Castle Hill, Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat and Craigmillar Hill.

• Check locally for the best vantage points in the city, Fife, East, West and Mid-Lothian. Don't approach the launch sites. Do say "oooh" and "aaah".

The New Year Revels

Assembly Rooms, George Street, 9:30pm until 3:30am

The biggest house party of them all. This year, the Assembly Rooms will be divided into three main areas - the Ceilidh Room, where your hosts will be Bella MacNab's Ceilidh Band and the Wild Cigarillos; the Revels Club Bar, where DJs from Catalonia (where else?) will be spinning discs into the morning; and the Dance Hall, where Beatles tribute band the Backbeat Beatles and the overworked Hayseed Dixie (also playing the Street Party, see opposite) will provide the tunes. Oh, and there's a Haggis Bar, too, located in the Ceilidh Room - ideal for emergency refuelling.

• Ticket holders also get a Royal Bank Street Party Pass. Sold out.

SUNDAY 1 JANUARY 2006

The One O'Clock Run

Leaves from the Castle esplanade at 1pm (check in at 11am)

So, your head hurts and it feels as if someone has just carpeted the inside of your mouth. Welcome to 2006! And what better way to start the New Year than with a jog down the Royal Mile? On the plus side, it's not a race, the course isn't long and it's all downhill.

Edinburgh's famous One O'Clock Gun (sadly no longer fired by local hero Tam the Gun, who died this year) is the starting signal for a gentle canter from the Castle to Holyrood Park.

• To ensure entry, buy a One O'Clock voucher from Edinburgh's Hogmanay ticket outlets and exchange it for your T-shirt on the Castle Esplanade on the day. Numbers are limited, so it's first come first served. There will be a briefing from 12:30pm, when registration closes. Entry costs 5 and includes a T-shirt.

Edinburgh's Dogmanay

Holyrood Park, 1:30pm until 3:30pm

If you're not up to doing any exercise on New Year's Day, why not spend an afternoon at the races? Teams of Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed and Siberian huskies will compete in a series of high-speed sled races.

Edinburgh Bicycle Triathlon and Iron Kids Duathlon

Holyrood Park, 11:30am (Kids Duathlon), 12:30pm (Triathlon)

Not for the hungover, the Edinburgh Bicycle Triathlon consists of a 400m swim in the Commonwealth Pool, an 11-mile cycle ride (three laps of Arthur's Seat) and a three-and-a-half-mile run (one lap of Arthur's Seat). The event is now fully subscribed. There's also a running and cycling event for children aged eight to 15 earlier in the day - entry on the day only.

TICKETS AND PASSES

Visit www.edinburghshogmanay.org or tel: [phone]. Tickets can also be booked by post or in person from Edinburgh's Hogmanay Box Office, Hub Tickets, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE. Cheques are payable to Hub Tickets.

• All listings accurate at time of going to press.