Beltane Fire Festival 2024: Everything you need to know about the spectacular Calton Hill event next week

The annual Beltane Fire Festival takes place at the picturesque Calton Hill next week

Edinburgh’s popular Beltane Fire Festival returns to Calton Hill next week - a spectacular celebratory event that attracts thousands each year.

The ancient Celtic event celebrates fire, new life and purity, and marks the end of the darker seasons and the arrival of summer on May Day. The age old tradition, that goes back 3,000 years, was first revived for modern times in Edinburgh in 1988 and is now one the largest celebrations of its kind in the world.

The Beltane Fire Festival will take place on Calton Hill on April 30

The extravaganza will see hundreds of volunteers from the Beltane Fire Society entertain large crowds with pulsating percussion, dramatic story telling, dazzling fire displays and mesmerising dance routines. This year, the historic event will focus on climate change - depicting how seasons have changed overtime compared to when the tradition was first performed by our ancestors. 

Organisers said the festival will ‘retell the traditional stories of The May Queen, and The Death and Rebirth of The Green Man, set amongst fire-play, acrobatics, drummers, dancers, musicians, witches, actors, a cavalcade of curious and larger-than-life characters, and even a little…chaos’.

They added: “With the on-going climate crisis, we ask ourselves how we approach our seasonal celebrations when those seasons no longer resemble those of our ancestors. For us, our story is one of empowerment in the face of climate change, as we invite witnesses to join the May Queen in observing and righting the natural cycles of the world.” 

The event is open to people of all ages but visitors under 16-years-old must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Organisers also advise parents who are bringing children to use discretion with some parts of the event containing ‘semi-nudity and uninhibited behaviour’.

The Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh is one the largest celebrations of its kind in the world. Photo: Gordon Veitch for Beltane Fire Society

What the performers are saying

Several members of the Beltane Fire Festival spoke to the Evening News ahead of the event.

Erin McElhinney said: “The Beltane Fire Festival is a massive community celebration that kicks off when the sun is setting. We have drumming groups, fire sculptures, fire spinners and dancers and we have a great time. The commitment and excitement does ramp up the closer we get to the festival - most of us rehearse a couple of times a week - it’s a beautiful way to build up in the week before the festival where we all come together.”

Fellow member, Sara Thomas: “It will be a wonderful evening of drums, acrobatics and fire. Visitors can follow the procession of the May Queen and the Green Man as they go around Calton Hill visiting all the elemental points, paying respect to those elements, and bringing in the summer.” 

Yvonne Armour, who has been a member of the society for the last seven years said: “The beauty of Beltane is that every experience is always different compared to the previous year - we bring something new every time. This year there is a focus on climate change and how the seasons aren’t quite in sync when compared to thousands of years ago.”

Tickets

Ahead of the event, visitors can buy tickets for a reduced price. Adult tickets cost £14 and under 16 tickets cost £8. These prices increase to £20 and £10 respectively if purchased on the day.

When 

Tuesday, April 30, between 8pm and 1am. Gates open at 7.30pm and last entry is at 11pm.

Where

Calton Hill, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH13BJ 

For more information about the event and to book tickets you can visit the Beltane Fire Society website.