Visit Edinburgh - Beltane Fire Festival

The Beltane Fire Festival is inspired by an ancient Celtic rite marking the fruition of spring and the arrival of summer.

Festivities begin towards the end of April with a series of events including workshops, walking tours, seminars and exhibitions. The Festival is organised by volunteers of the Beltane Society, which has over 300 members. The 11,500 tickets for the main Fire Festival event usually sell out in advance.

Discover the origins of Beltane and its modern day relevance at a seminar. Guided walking tours visit medicinal herb gardens and historical sites from the Lothians’ pre-Christian past. Perfect the art of body painting or design a Celtic knot at a workshop.

The event culminates with the Fire Festival on Calton Hill on the last night of April continuing into the early hours of May Day. The May Queen and the Green Man, a ubiquitous presence in Celtic mythology, light a bonfire to symbolise the renewal of the earth.

Beltane Fire Festival 2011 dates to be confirmed.