Scotland

Scotland’s ultimate Highland celebration welcoming visitors with festive lights, music, and holiday cheer. Info: www.obanwinterfestival.com

Get ready to experience one of Scotland’s largest projections shows with an all-new show for 2025, as fire and ice take centre stage. Let these enchanting elements guide you through Edinburgh Castle as they ignite dazzling projections and immersive light displays. Info: www.castleoflight.scot

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh comes alive with breathtaking light installations and sparkling displays to bring festive cheer to everyone. Info: www.rbge.org.uk

Scotland’s biggest night of traditional music will celebrate Glasgow comedy and folk music legend Sir Billy Connolly. With a star-studded bill for the Billy tribute, the line up of singers will play their part in marking 60 years since Sir Billy formed the beloved Humblebums and pay tribute to one of Glasgow’s most iconic sons ... Read more

A dazzling new winter festival that will light up your December evenings with spectacular live music, featuring some of the biggest acts in Scottish music  including headliners Skerryvore, Mànran, Elephant Sessions and Kinnaris Quintet and a Hogmanay Ceilidh, The Albert Halls Stirling. Info: www.stirlingevents.org

Welcome the New Year at the ‘Home of Hogmanay’!  The festival is filled with a spectacular programme of events honouring Hogmanay traditions, old and new featuring the traditional Torchlight Procession, creating a river of fire through the historic Old Town, headline ‘Concert in the Gardens’, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party and the unforgettable Midnight Fireworks from ... Read more

A magical evening of Scottish music. Join the SFO for a celebration of lively, toe-tapping jigs and reels, and poignant slow airs, all intermixed with a sprinkling of well-known songs and pipe music at Usher Hall. Info: www.sfo.org.uk

The Fireball Ceremony is Stonehaven’s unique way to welcome in the New Year and greet friends and neighbours. As the midnight chimes ring out on December 31st, approximately 40 men and women parade up and down the High Street swinging fiercely flaming balls around their heads. Info: www.stonehavenfireballs.com

A pagan fire festival unique to Burghead, which greets the New Year. The significance of the 11th January dates back to the 1750’s, when the Julian calendar was reformed in Britain. Every 11th January the flaming Clavie (a barrel full of staves) is carried round the town followed by a large crowd. Info: www.burghead.com/clavie

Glasgow's annual folk, roots and world music festival, Celtic Connections celebrates Celtic music and its connections to cultures across the globe. Info: www.celticconnections.com

Scotland’s biggest Burns Night party and warmest Winter Festival set in historic Dumfries, every January. Info: www.bigburnssupper.com

A stunning free trail of light, sound and projection installations stretching right across the town centre, this is Dumfries at its brightest. Info: www.northernlightsdumfries.com

Tucked in the heart of Dumfries, Rabbie’s Winter Village is where the glow of Illuminate Dumfries meets full-on festive vibes. Expect twinkling lights, mouth-watering local food, cracking live music, and that unmistakable Dumfries cheer. Info: www.northernlightsdumfries.com

Scotland's biggest and only retail trade fair (Trade only event). Showcase for Scottish retailers at the SEC. Info: www.scotlandstradefairs.com

Lerwick Up Helly Aa is a superb spectacle, a celebration of Shetland history, and a triumphant demonstration of islanders' skills and spirit, a tradition that originated in the 1880s and is today Europe's largest fire festival. Info: www.uphellyaa.org

Fèis Phàislig, Renfrewshire’s celebrated traditional music and Gaelic arts charity, will present a major anniversary concert to mark ten years of providing cultural opportunities for young people. The showcase event will take place at the iconic Paisley Town Hall bringing together over 100 performers from the organisation's past and present. Info: www.feisphaislig.com

Glasgow is home to one of the friendliest and vibrant film festivals in the world. Our wide-ranging programme celebrates the diversity of global filmmaking, offering a fantastic showcase for the best of Scottish cinema alongside films from every corner of the world. Info: www.glasgowfilmfest.org

Come along and enjoy a gloriously unique programme of traditional Scottish music – reels, strathspeys, jigs, marches & slow airs  at Perth Concert Hall.  Info: www.sfo.org.uk

Scottish talent and emerging comedians from around the world offer a diverse array of comedic styles, including stand-up, improv, sketch, and alternative comedy, at various venues in the funniest city in the world. Info: www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com

With a global reputation for hosting an innovative, inspirational festival showcasing poetry from around the world. The festival theme for 2026 is ‘You Are Not Alone’ and with more than 70 poets from 7 countries and over 75 events across three packed days centred around the Byre Theatre, StAnza’s buzzing festival hub. The festival features ... Read more

From coopering masterclasses and BBQs to wildlife walks, the Dram Train, music events and canoeing down the river whilst stopping for a Speyside malt, the Festival is packed with a range of diverse events. Info: www.spiritofspeyside.com

This exciting event brings together tartans, pipe bands, dancers, musicians, organisations, and individuals from Edinburgh, as well as across Scotland, and beyond - to celebrate the country's rich heritage, tartans, culture and inclusivity. Info: www.handupevents.co.uk/tartan-parade-scotland

Join Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies for a 2-day academic conference; Beyond the Family Tree: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on AI, DNA, Education and Community in Genealogy. Explore a variety of topics, including genetic genealogy, history, and genealogy, with parallel streams featuring keynote presentations and guest lectures—giving you the freedom to choose the sessions that inspire you ... Read more

A weekend of Celtic and Scottish folk music held annually on the Island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides. Info: www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk

This internationally renowned event has a unique setting in the Scottish Hebridean island of Lewis, the heartland of the Gaelic language and culture. HebCelt mixes the best local talent with leading Scottish, UK and world artists and brings together household names and emerging talent to provide a feast of music to appeal to all ages. ... Read more

Experience the thrill of the world's best athletes competing for gold,  featuring a 10-sport program and approximately 3,000 athletes from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories, at this multi-sport event at venues across Scotland's largest city. Info: www.glasgow2026.com

Speyfest brings the best in traditional and contemporary Celtic music to Moray as the local playing fields are transformed into a bustling tented village for the weekend. Info: www.speyfest.com.

Whether you’re reconnecting with fellow Hunters or discovering the rich legacy of the clan for the first time, this special event promises a truly memorable experience at Hunterston Castle. The weekend will be filled with exciting activities for all ages and include the Muirhead Clan. Info: www.clanhunterscotland.com/clan-international-gathering

An experience like no other, the 2026 show A Call to Gather will again bring together the best of British Military with international performances from a global cast at the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. Info: www.edintattoo.co.uk

One of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet. For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh welcomes an explosion of creative energy from around the globe. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present shows for every taste. Info: www.edfringe.com

An unparalleled celebration of the performing arts and an annual meeting point for peoples of all nations. Committed to virtuosity and originality, the International Festival presents some of the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre. Info: www.eif.co.uk

Thousands of pipers and drummers in all grades from across Scotland, the UK and globe compete at the annual competition held at Glasgow Green. Info: www.theworlds.co.uk

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a distinctive international showcase celebrating the written word, literature and ideas. It brings leading and emerging international, British and Scottish authors and thinkers together to inspire each other and audiences in an extensive programme of public events. Info: www.edbookfest.co.uk

The new event, which will provide a platform for Gaelic music, language and culture to shine with performances and competitions. The Moray Local Mòd will include singing, piping, clàrsach, fiddle, and more, with the event designed to enable participation from all age and interest groups – including local school children and more experienced Gaelic speakers. ... Read more