Samhuinn Fire Festival 2023

On Tuesday 31st October, the Beltane Fire Society will host its annual Samhuinn Fire Festival. 

On the 31st October, the Beltane Fire Society will bring back its renowned Samhuinn Fire Festival to Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. After an abundant celebration of summer at our Beltane Fire Festival, we are delighted to invite all to bring in the winter with us. 

Samhuinn is a modern twist on an ancient Celtic celebration which marks the turning of the wheel into the new season. Its one of the European ancestors to modern day Halloween and All Saints Day festivities. 

Tickets available from Citizen Ticket: 

https://www.citizenticket.com/events/beltane-fire-society/samhuinn-fire-festival-2023/

Tickets: Adults £8, Children £6 

Times – Gates open: 6:30pm Event ends: 10pm 

Chair of Beltane Fire Society, Sammi Searle said: ““We are excited to announce The Beltane Fire Society’s Samhuinn Festival for 2023, set against the magnificent landscape of Holyrood Park.

“Our Samhuinn is a modern re-imagining of an ancient Celtic festival, marking the culmination of summer’s harvests and the birth of winter. This year is set to be an atmospheric spectacle exploring themes of death, rebirth and the magic that awaits in the dark Scottish nights.

“We are incredibly grateful to our creative and dedicated volunteers and collaborators who are spending these autumn days preparing and constructing the truly impressive array of characters, structures and performances you will encounter on the night.

“This is a community-created event like no other, where you will find otherworldly creatures, elemental forces, drumming and of course, fire, all overseen by the powerful Celtic crone goddess, The Cailleach. We can’t wait to see you there!” 

Samhuinn brings together a host of volunteer performers with fire-play, drumming, and wild costumes to Holyrood Park, marking the transition of Summer into Winter. Audiences will witness a cavalcade of characters representing Summer and Winter. The characters will coalesce around a stage where the mysterious figure of the Cailleach, a Celtic representation of the goddess, or Divine Hag, will usher in the colder months. 

The Beltane Fire Society is a registered Scottish charity run by volunteers and a staple of Edinburgh’s cultural scene, dedicated to keeping the ancient Celtic calendar alive and sharing skills of street theatre, costume-making, folklore, music and immersive performance.

The Samhuinn Fire Festival has been held in Edinburgh since 1995. Its Summer counterpart, Beltane, takes place on Calton Hill on the last day of April each year, and has been running since 1988. The festival celebrates one of the four Celtic quarter day festivals and marks the end of Summer and beginning of Winter. 

Join us this Samhuinn night to celebrate the turning of the wheel and revel in the start of the winter season!