15 November 2024 – 4 January 2025
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Tickets on sale from noon Friday 4 October here
- First event details and tickets released for Edinburgh’s Christmas 2024 festivities
- Family favourites return including Big Wheel, Santa Stories, George Street Ice Skating, Around the World Starflyer and the Family Festive Funfair
- Traditional Christmas Markets return to East Princes Street Gardens
- All-New Christmas Tree Maze set to transform St Andrew Square Gardens into a festive wonderland
- Free family and community entertainment at Ross Bandstand throughout November & December, including Light Night Concert and 20th anniversary Santa Run
- Local charities to benefit from Edinburgh Winter Festivals – Social Bite, When You Wish Upon A Star, One City Trust and Simon Community Scotland
- Local resident discount returns to spread Christmas cheer across the city
Organisers of Edinburgh’s Christmas today unwrapped the first attractions from a bumper programme of events in the capital, bringing the gift of joy and sparkle to the city’s many residents and visitors this winter.
Running from Friday 15 November 2024 to Saturday 4 January 2025, Edinburgh’s city centre will be aglow with festive wonder, as this year’s hugely varied programme of festive favourites and fresh winter wonderlands really does have something for everyone.
From the opening weekend (Fri 15 Nov), East Princes Street Gardens launches proceedings, as the Traditional Christmas Market returns, where a multitude of market stall holders offer locally made crafts from twinkly wooden cabins. Whether visitors fancy strawberries and marshmallows dipped in chocolate, mulled wine or big bratwurst sausages, the food and drink stalls placed throughout the market cater for all tastes.
For those with a head for heights, a trip on the Edinburgh’s Christmas Big Wheel or the 80M Around the World Star Flyer offer incredible views of the city. Of course, for those who prefer to be a ground level, other rides are available and a trip on the Helter-Skelter is always a favourite.
Edinburgh’s Christmas welcomes families to West Princes Street Gardens from Saturday 16 November with the Festive Family Funfair returning with favourite rides for children young and old.
The Winter Warmer Zone with its festive food and drink stalls bringing the temperature up with some delicious hot chocolate and treats. Winter Windows Walk presents beautiful artwork from school children from across the city, part of an illumined walk beneath the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
A programme of festive fun at the Ross Bandstand throughout winter offers families even more, bringing colour and joy through the Light Night Concert (Sun 17 Nov), St Andrew’s Day Ceilidh (Sat 30 Nov), Nativity Carol Concert (Sun 1 Dec), and this year When You Wish Upon A Star celebrates 20 years of the Santa Run (Sun 8 Dec), with another spectacular fundraising event, giving kids of all ages a chance to join in the festive fun. Full programme to be announced in the coming weeks.
The following weekend sees the New Town transformed into a winter wonderland, in partnership with Essential Edinburgh. At the West End of George Street, the spectacular outdoor Ice-Rink returns, welcoming skaters to glide around the 120m rink, with spectators enjoying the action from a viewing gallery.
Moving up the street, visitors will discover a feast of festive treats, delicious food and drink, and an all-new warming area presenting live entertainment throughout winter, along with Festive Workshops, where audiences can learn new skills from Christmas Decorations & Wreath Making to Ice Carving & Mixology.
New for St Andrew Square, Edinburgh’s Christmas presents Scotland’s largest Christmas Tree Maze, inviting participants to lose themselves amongst 450 illuminated Christmas Trees, discovering festive surprises along the way.
Santa returns to the beautiful Piccolo Spiegeltent, where once again children can book a slot to hear some Christmas tales, meet the man himself and his elves in Santa’s Stories. Children can also write that all important letter to the big man and drop it straight into the Santa Post-box.
Each year Edinburgh’s Winter Festivals set out to makes lives better across the city. In 2024 the residents discount will return, offering locals over 100,000 tickets at a 20% discount for the ice-rink, Santa Stories and fairground rides, helping locals to enjoy that little bit more this Christmas.
Edinburgh’s Christmas is working with local community groups to give away thousands of tickets for fairground rides, ice-skating and Santa Stories. Donations and money raised across Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay festivals will this year be split across local charities Social Bite, When You Wish Upon A Star, One City Trust and Simon Community Scotland.
Charity donations can be made on-line when purchasing tickets and also at fundraising points around Edinburgh’s Christmas.
Edinburgh’s Christmas attractions are open daily except Christmas Day, with varying opening dates and times available at the official website. For further information and to buy tickets (from noon Friday 4 October), please go to www.edinburghwinterfestivals.com
Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, said: “Edinburgh at Christmas is a magical experience, and it’s exciting to be announcing such a varied programme of events and attractions for 2024. We will see the return of many favourites like the Traditional Christmas Market, Santa Stories and Big Wheel, as well as a brand-new Christmas Tree Maze in St Andrew Square!
“We want Edinburgh’s Christmas to be a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone, and this packed programme has something for families and Christmas enthusiasts of all ages.
“We are especially proud of the opportunities it affords to raise funds for local charities. The free tickets donated to charities and community groups will help spread Christmas joy across the capital. We’re also looking forward to supporting other events in communities across the city”
Roddy Smith, Chief Executive and Director of Essential Edinburgh said: “Christmas is a special time of year for everyone, it is also a really important trading period for our city centre retailers and hospitality businesses.
“We are delighted to partner with Unique Assembly to support this year’s Edinburgh’s Christmas activities encouraging our residents and visitors to come into the city centre to enjoy themselves.
“With the now well-established Ice Rink on the West End of George Street joined by the new Christmas Tree Maze in St Andrew Square Garden, we have festive fun for all ages all the way from the West End to the St James Quarter.”
Unique Assembly, producers of Edinburgh’s Christmas said: “We are thrilled to unwrap the first exciting attractions for this year’s Edinburgh’s Christmas, with a seven-week programme packed full of family favourites, plus new events and attractions to be announced.
“This year’s event promises to be one of the biggest and best ever, and we look forward to welcoming everyone when we open doors in only six short weeks!’