A EVENING OF REVELRY AND JOY ON HOLYROOD PARK FOR SAMHUINN FIRE FESTIVAL 2024
Last night, revellers of over 6000 gathered at Holyrood Park to take part in the annual Samhuinn Fire Festival, produced by Beltane Fire Society.
As part of an ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the warmer months were observed, and the winter season was welcomed, inspired by the Celtic tales of the turning of the wheel.
The epic battle between the Summer and Winter Queens unfolded as The Cailleach prepared for the transition into winter.
The festival took place at Holyrood Park in the centre of the city to watch the festivities, and brought together communities to welcome in the colder months. Despite the ever-growing wind, the flames still burned and set the park alight.
Jenny Bloom, Chair of Beltane Fire Society, said: “For thousands of witnesses, and our community of hundreds of dedicated volunteers, last night’s Samhuinn Fire Festival joyfully marked the change of the seasons.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye to the summer – but what better way to welcome the Scottish Winter than a night of crashing drums and clashing swords!”
The modern Samhuinn Fire Festival has been running since 1988 and is the autumn and winter counterpart to Beltane Fire Festival, which is held at Calton Hill on 30th April.
The events are immersive experiences, which involve modern re-imaginings of ancient Celtic festivals to mark the turning seasons, and the turning of the wheel.
The Beltane Fire Society is a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient Celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.
PICTURES: Crow Mackie, Dan Boyce, Daniel Cass Senior and Braven Davenport.
REVELRY AND JOY IN HOLYROOD PARK FOR SAMHUINN FIRE FESTIVAL
THOUSANDS of revellers gathered at Holyrood Park last night to take part in an ancient Celtic celebration to observe the end of the warmer months, and welcome in the start of the winter season.
Samhuinn Fire Festival is inspired by the Celtic tales of the turning of the wheel. Witness the epic battle between the Summer and Winter Kings unfold as the Cailleach prepares for transition into winter.
More than 5,000 people gathered at Holyrood Park, in the centre of the city to watch the revelries and welcome in the colder season. We were very grateful for the break in wind and rain that seems to persist over Edinburgh at this time for a moment that we could collectively take to celebrate the turning of the wheel into the winter months.
Sammi Searle, Chair of Beltane Fire Society, said: “Last night’s Samhuinn Fire Festival was truly spectacular and a hearty welcome to the winter season.
“Our festivals are living, breathing entities that bring together both the community and the landscape and it’s always so inspiring to see how our incredible volunteers come together as the seasons turn to unite us all with their passion and talent.
“Enormous and heartfelt thanks go out to everyone involved who gave it their all and made this night so special, and to our audience who never fail in helping us create such a magical atmosphere. We hope this was truly a night to remember.“
The modern Samhuinn Fire Festival has been running since 1988 and is the autumn and winter counterpart to Beltane Fire Festival, which is held at Calton Hill on 30th April.
The events are immersive experiences, which involve modern re-imaginings of ancient Celtic festivals to mark the turning seasons, and the turning of the wheel.
The Beltane Fire Society is a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient Celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.
PICTURES: Alessandra Fais, Clarissa Gurd, Matt Scott, Beltane Fire Society
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.
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!
On Halloween eve, the Beltane Fire Society (BFS) welcomed a sold-out audience to Holyrood Park as its Beltane counter-season festival, the Samhuinn Fire Festival, unfolded on stage at full blaze.
The performances featured large amounts of fire, acrobatics, epic duels between Summer and Winter, and a variety of eccentric, strange character costumes that included a full-winged fire display by our Summer King, Hannah Smith.
Our 2022 Samhuinn Fire Festival would not have been possible without our 200+ volunteers who helped us share a safe and spectacular fire-focused event with the Edinburgh community.
Thank you to all for helping the Society ring in the Celtic new year and honour the new season before us. Happy Samhuinn!
The Beltane Fire Society (BFS) will host its renowned Autumnal celebration in Holyrood Park, bringing more fire, acrobatic stage performances and mystical creatures than ever before …
Starting at 7pm on Halloween Eve, the 2022 Samhuinn Fire Festival will brighten thousands of colourful faces in Holyrood Park with its immersive fire-play performance and ancient Celtic storytelling around Summer’s transition into Winter.
Audience registration is through Citizen Ticket, with full details revealed at check out.
● Visit www.Beltane.org for festival information and updates. High-quality photos are available of past festivals on request.
“The society is excited to be continuing these traditions in Edinburgh, this time on and under Hagg’s Knowe in Holyrood Park,” said 2022 Samhuinn Fire Festival Event Coordinator Tom Watton.
“As our events happen alongside an audience in collective celebration of the changing seasons, we welcome as many people as possible to come in fire-safe guises on this coming Samhuinn night.”
Samhuinn involves 200+ volunteers performing in wild costumes with captivating fire-play, acrobatics and drumming.
This year, the finale will be performed on a raised stage, meaning many more people will witness the festival’s key moments including the fierce duel between our Summer King and Winter King, and the unveiling of the Cailleach.
ABOUT BELTANE FIRE SOCIETY
The Beltane Fire Society is a registered Scottish charity run by volunteers, dedicated to keeping the ancient Celtic calendar alive and sharing skills of street theatre, costume-making, folklore, music and immersive performance. The charity relies on donations from their live events, and there is a suggested £5 donation to attend – or whatever you can afford.
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.
2022 Samhuinn Fire Festival to take place in Holyrood Park
Large fire stages and a dramatic Arthur’s Seat descent ensures that all attending will have a good experience witnessing Summer’s mystical transition into Winter.
News Facts
● Beltane Fire Society hosting our 2022 Samhuinn Fire Festival in Holyrood Park
● Festival takes place at 19:00 on the evening of Monday 31st October 2022.
● Samhuinn is a unique re-imagining of an ancient festival, celebrating the turn of the seasons and its Celtic New Year.
● A procession of fire, drums and costumed volunteers will make way to the heart of Holyrood Park where characters from ancient lore enact the end of summer and the rise of winter.
● Register for festival with Citizen Ticket, suggested donation £5.00.
● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMiXgZlYz4eTkbL2fAeM80Q We welcome the press to attend and photograph the festival. We will hold a short briefing on the day of Samhuinn at 18:00. Please email comms@beltane.orgif interested in receiving more details.
This year’s Samhuinn Fire Festival, the event held in Edinburgh every Halloween to mark the end of summer and beginning of winter, is to move beyond its usual Royal Mile route and will now climax at the Mound Precinct.
With more than 6,000 spectators last year, the Beltane Fire Society event has become so popular it’s had to move its finale to its new city centre location by Princes Street, so thousands more people can watch the spectacle and mark the turning seasons.
The celebration will begin at 9pm on Friday 31 October at the High Street, with a procession of drums, fire and characters from celtic lore making their way from the High Street at the Royal Mile, down Cockburn Street, and on to the stage at the Mound Precinct for the final battle between the forces of Summer and Winter.
Sara Thomas, event co-ordinator said: “It’s great to be taking Samhuinn to the very heart of the city this year. The extra space at the stage on the Mound Precinct means we can make the event more spectacular than ever, and far more people will be able to see every moment. It’s an incredible event, fantastic to watch – even more so given all the performers are volunteers, we don’t get any formal funding, and the audience can turn up on the night with no need to buy tickets – just make a donation to our lovely Bucketeers.”
Becky Salter, playing the key role of the Cailleach in the event, said: “Samhuinn is a wonderful event to be part of, full of fire, drums and excitement. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world. We want the people of Edinburgh to share it with us, to join us in marking the end of Summer and the rise of Winter – and this extended route will mean far more people can witness it all.”
Attendance at Samhuinn Fire Festival is by donation on the night, with no ticket needed.
The event is organised by the Beltane Fire Society, a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.
Samhuinn Fire Festival is a modern ‘re-imagining’ of an ancient celtic festival marking the end of summer and rise of winter. The modern event has been held in Edinburgh since 1995. Its spring and summer counterpart, Beltane, takes place on Calton Hill on the last day of April each year, and has been running since 1988.
