Edinburgh’s Beltane Fire Festival 2024: Thousands attend spectacular Celtic celebration on Calton Hill

Edinburgh’s popular Beltane Fire Festival returned to Calton Hill last night - a celebratory event that attracts thousands each year.

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

Around 8,500 people attended the event where they followed the procession around the historic site, captivated by fire spinners, dancing, acrobatics and pulsating drumming as they made their way around the capital landmark.

Beginning shortly after sunset at the National Monument of Scotland, the May Queen and the Green Man then lead thousands of spectators around Calton Hill as they visited elemental points on the hill and paid respect to the elements.

This year, the event focussed on climate change - using dramatic storytelling to depict how seasons have changed overtime compared to when the tradition was first performed thousands of years ago.

Here are 14 pictures from the event.