Festivals, concerts, theatre and club nights from the Old Town to Leith, for the days you are in Edinburgh.
Photo: Chris Combe / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Castle, closes, hills and the night's gigs, mapped.
Save what appeals, plan your days around it, and open any stop in Google Maps. Hotels for your dates are one tap away on whichever part of the city is on screen.
13 Nov 2026 to 21 Feb 2027 Edinburgh Zoo Giant Lanterns Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine 
14 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 Edinburgh's Christmas East and West Princes Street Gardens and George Street, New Town 14 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 LNER Big Wheel East Princes Street Gardens, New Town 
29 Dec Torchlight Procession The Meadows, Melville Drive, Southside Today This weekend November 2026December 2026
Planning ahead:January 2027February 2027April 2027May 2027June 2027July 2027August 2027
The full events calendarAll 69 gigs this week Live music on the map
Every gig, night by nightWhere to base yourself and where to spend an afternoon, with the best places in each and how to get there.
Old Town Castle, Royal Mile and the closes
Photo: Richard Mortel
New Town Georgian streets and Princes Street
Photo: Jorge Franganillo
Leith Harbour, the Shore and the yacht
Photo: Jorge Franganillo
Southside Museums, theatres and student streets
Photo: Neil Turner
Holyrood Palace, Parliament and the park
Photo: Bernt Rostad
Cramond Village, island and the foreshore
Photo: Steve Hodgson
West End Theatres, cathedrals and Lothian Road
Photo: George M. Groutas
Portobello Beach, promenade and parks
Photo: Sheep purple
Where to stay
Where to stay in Edinburgh by area: Old Town, New Town, West End, Stockbridge, Leith, Southside and Haymarket, with a verdict for a first trip and transport from official pages.
The short answer: the New Town, or the edge of the Old Town near Waverley and Princes Street, for a first trip.
See what's near any hotel, and what's on while you're there, on the map.
Read the guideEssentials
Edinburgh's Christmas 2026 runs 14 November to 3 January in Princes Street Gardens, with free entry to the market, rides, the Polar Ice Bar and Hogmanay on 29 to 31 December. Dates, hours and prices.
Essentials
Edinburgh's Hogmanay runs 29 December 2026 to 1 January 2027, with the Torchlight Procession, the Night Afore Party, the Street Party and Hogmanay in the Gardens. Dates, tickets and getting there.
Day trip
Day trips from Edinburgh ranked by 13 guides: St Andrews, Stirling, Glasgow, North Berwick, Rosslyn Chapel, Linlithgow and the Highlands, with times from ScotRail and operators.
Where to stay
Old Town or New Town in Edinburgh: Old Town for the castle and atmosphere, New Town for level streets, shops and a calmer night. Verdicts by trip type from 13 guides.
