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Where to Stay in Edinburgh for Hogmanay 2026/27: The Street Party Gates, 12 Hotels and the 5% Visitor Levy

By Casey, Gently Yonder editor

Where to stay for Edinburgh's Hogmanay 2026/27: four areas by Street Party gate, 12 hotels, the Balmoral's two-night Ball offer and the 5% Visitor Levy.

Last updated · 19 min read

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In this guide14 sections
  1. The short answer
  2. 29 December to 1 January: the official programme
  3. The rules that decide where you sleep
  4. Last year’s closures, and what is not yet published
  5. The West End and Lothian Road: the West Gate
  6. The east end of Princes Street: the East Gate
  7. North Bridge, St Andrew Square and St James Quarter
  8. The Old Town: Torchlight and the South Gate
  9. Getting in from the airport, and around on the night
  10. Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy
  11. When to book Hogmanay in Edinburgh
  12. All 12 at a glance
  13. Before you go
  14. Frequently asked questions

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party is a ticketed night inside closed city-centre streets. The organisers say 45,000 people will party into 2027 there, with gates opening at 8pm on Thursday 31 December 2026 and last entry at 11pm. Your ticket names one of three gates, east, west or south, and the organisers say it cannot be changed after purchase, so the hotel and the gate are one decision. Some hotels sell the night as a package: The Balmoral’s Hogmanay Ball offer needs a minimum of two nights, and it is sold for 30 and 31 December only.

This guide covers the 2026/27 programme the organisers have published, four areas matched to the gates and the Old Town, 12 hotels, the Visitor Levy and what to book first. For the rest of your trip, where to stay in Edinburgh covers six areas and 12 hotels, four of which also appear here. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in October 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.

The short answer

If you want… Stay in Why
the Street Party at your door The east end of Princes Street The East Gate is at the junction with North Bridge, and three hotels sit beside it
the concert under the Castle, and the West Gate The West End and Lothian Road The West Gate is off the foot of Lothian Road, and West Princes Street Gardens is below the Castle
a bed a short walk from the East Gate North Bridge, St Andrew Square and St James Quarter None of the three hotels is on last year’s list of addresses inside the arena
the Old Town, and the South Gate at The Mound The Old Town Castlehill, Victoria Street and the Grassmarket, with Bank Street at the top of The Mound

Not sure which area? Rank these areas for your trip: pick what matters and see the reasons.

A wide street at night with tram wires and street lamps overhead, a double-decker bus on the right, pedestrians on the pavement at left and a lit fairground ride beside a red-lit clock tower in the distance
An Edinburgh street at night. Photo: Valentine Kulikov / Pexels

29 December to 1 January: the official programme

The organisers’ site, edinburghshogmanay.com, now redirects to edwinterfest.com/hogmanay. In October 2026 it publishes four days of events for 2026/27, with tickets on sale. It has not yet published stage times for the Street Party; the organisers say they will be released in the lead-up to the event.

When Event Where Tickets
Tuesday 29 December, 6.30pm Torchlight Procession From The Meadows, through the Old Town From £5.75
Wednesday 30 December, 6pm Night Afore Party with The Fratellis West Princes Street Gardens From £42
Thursday 31 December, 8pm Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party Princes Street and the city centre From £10
Thursday 31 December, doors 8pm Hogmanay in the Gardens with Underworld West Princes Street Gardens From £79
New Year’s Day First Footin’ Venues across the city centre Free, unticketed

First Footin’ is a free live music trail. Its page still carries last year’s date and details, so we have no 2027 times to give you.

For the Street Party itself, the organisers publish a running order:

Time What happens
8pm Gates open
From 9pm Hourly firework teasers
11pm Last entry
11:59pm Midnight countdown
Midnight Midnight Moment fireworks and Auld Lang Syne
About 12:50am The event ends
A tall Gothic stone spire lit in orange, pink and blue beside a lit swing ride spinning against a black sky
A floodlit monument and a swing ride at night in Edinburgh. Photo: Valentine Kulikov / Pexels

The Gardens concert runs on its own clock. Doors open at 8pm, the stage is live from 8.50pm and last entry is 11pm. For the first time, the organisers say, Underworld will soundtrack the Midnight Moment live from the Main Stage in West Princes Street Gardens, below the Castle. Tickets run from £79, and there are Enclosure, Gardens and Premium tiers.

The rules that decide where you sleep

Last year’s closures, and what is not yet published

The organisers’ page for residents and businesses still describes the 2025 edition, and the 2026 closure notices had not been posted when we looked. Last year’s pattern was this: closures began progressively from 00:01 on 29 December, the arena gates were in use from 17:00 on 30 December, and the main closure of Princes Street and its side streets began at 19:00 that evening. On 31 December most pedestrian restrictions started at 18:00 and lasted until about 04:00 on 1 January.

Anyone with a property or business inside the arena was offered access passes, for staff and customers where applicable. The addresses on last year’s list were 30 to 134 Princes Street, 2 to 35 Castle Street, 1 to 19 Frederick Street, 1 to 33 Hanover Street, 17 Waverley Bridge and 18 to 21 Market Street. None of the hotels below published how it admits guests through the barriers, so ask in writing, and ask which side of the barrier your hotel’s front door falls on.

The West End and Lothian Road: the West Gate

An ornate green and gold fountain in a round pool, with a castle on a rocky crag behind it, autumn trees to the left and tall grass in the foreground
The Ross Fountain in West Princes Street Gardens, with the Castle behind. Photo: Michael Porter / Pexels

The West Gate for the Street Party is off the bottom of Lothian Road, and West Princes Street Gardens, where the Underworld concert is held, lies below the Castle beside it. If your ticket is for the West Gate, or for the Gardens, a bed at this end means the walk home is short and flat.

Where to stay in the West End

How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

The east end of Princes Street: the East Gate

A stone clock tower rising above a busy street seen from high up, with Gothic spires in the distance under an overcast sky
The Balmoral's clock tower, at the east end of Princes Street. Photo: Himalay Patel / Pexels

The East Gate is the junction of Princes Street and North Bridge, and the three hotels here sit at that end of the street. None of them is on last year’s list of addresses that were offered access passes, which began at 30 Princes Street, but the organisers do not say exactly where the East Gate stands relative to them. Ask each hotel.

Where to stay at the east end of Princes Street

North Bridge, St Andrew Square and St James Quarter

A tall dark Gothic spire and a stone building with a clock tower, lit by low sunlight behind a stone wall
The Scott Monument, with the Balmoral's clock tower to its right, at dusk. Photo: Sinitta Leunen / Pexels

North and south of the East Gate, off the closed street: North Bridge, St Andrew Square and St James Quarter. None of these three addresses is on last year’s access-pass list, and each is a walk from the East Gate. We have not timed the walks, and the closed streets will lengthen them.

Where to stay around North Bridge and St James Quarter

The Old Town: Torchlight and the South Gate

A castle on a steep rocky crag, floodlit in orange against a deep blue night sky, with bare trees in the foreground
Edinburgh Castle, floodlit at night. Photo: Igor Passchier / Pexels

The Torchlight Procession on 29 December climbs through the Old Town, and the South Gate for the Street Party is at Bank Street, at the top of The Mound. The Old Town is where you stay if the procession is the point, or if you are happy to walk the Royal Mile to a South Gate ticket. The streets are steep and cobbled, and the walk back after midnight is the cost.

Where to stay in the Old Town

Getting in from the airport, and around on the night

Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy

Edinburgh is the first place in Scotland to charge a visitor levy. Since 24 July 2026 every paid overnight stay in the city, from a five-star hotel to a hostel bed, carries a 5% charge on the room, on top of VAT, for the first five nights.

Charge Rate in 2026
Edinburgh Visitor Levy 5% of the accommodation-only price, before VAT
Nights charged The first 5 consecutive nights of a stay
Where it applies Paid overnight stays from 24 July 2026: hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, hostels, aparthotels, short-term lets and camp sites
Not charged on Extras such as parking, meals, drinks or transport
VAT on a hotel room 20%, the UK’s standard rate

A hotel registered for VAT adds VAT to the levy as well, which makes the levy 5% of the VAT-inclusive room price. As our arithmetic, a room at £450 a night including VAT costs £375 before VAT; 5% of that is £18.75, plus £3.75 of VAT on the levy, so £22.50 a night and £45 for the two nights of 30 and 31 December. A stay booked and paid for before 1 October 2025 is exempt, which no Hogmanay booking made now can be. Compare totals, not headline prices: Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End says on its own site that the levy is included in the total it shows.

When to book Hogmanay in Edinburgh

All 12 at a glance

Hotel Area Tier Best for Watch out for
The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection by Hilton West End Splurge A ball in the building Package contents unstated
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Lothian Road Comfortable Spa and a six-course dinner No price for the dinner
Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End Fountainbridge Good value Breakfast included, levy included Farthest from a gate
The Balmoral East end of Princes Street Splurge The Hogmanay Ball and the East Gate Two-night minimum
Hotel Indigo Edinburgh - Princes Street East end of Princes Street Comfortable The East Gate at a lower price No published terms
Motel One Edinburgh-Princes East end of Princes Street Budget Money kept for the night Compact rooms
The Scotsman Hotel North Bridge Comfortable History on the way to the gate Dinner is a separate ticket
W Edinburgh St James Quarter Splurge Midnight on a rooftop deck No event prices published
ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square St Andrew Square Good value A lower price near the East Gate Balcony rooms by request
The Witchery Old Town Splurge A night beside the Castle Suites suit two adults
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh Old Town Comfortable Its own Hogmanay events Non-guest access unstated
Apex Grassmarket Hotel Grassmarket Comfortable The Old Town for less The climb to the Royal Mile

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

When is Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party in 2026?

Thursday 31 December 2026. The organisers say gates open at 8pm, last entry is at 11pm, the midnight countdown starts at 11:59pm and the event ends at about 12:50am. About 45,000 people are expected, and stage times had not been released when we checked.

Do you need a ticket for the Hogmanay Street Party?

Yes. Tickets start at £10, and each one names a single gate, east, west or south, which cannot be changed after purchase. The organisers name edinburghshogmanay.com, Ticketmaster and tickets-scotland.com as the only official sellers, and say there is no official resale.

Where is the best place to stay for Hogmanay in Edinburgh?

It depends on your gate. The East Gate is at the east end of Princes Street, by North Bridge, and the West Gate is off the bottom of Lothian Road. The South Gate is at Bank Street at the top of The Mound. The Old Town suits the Torchlight Procession and the South Gate, and the West End suits the West Gate and the Gardens concert.

Do Edinburgh hotels have minimum stays at Hogmanay?

Some do. The Balmoral's Hogmanay Ball offer needs a minimum of two nights and is available for stays on 30 and 31 December 2026 only. The Caledonian lists Hogmanay Packages from £225 without saying what they include. The other hotels here publish no New Year's Eve minimum on the pages we read, so ask.

Can you leave the Street Party and come back in?

No. The organisers say re-entry is not permitted, and last entry is at 11pm. Umbrellas, glass, drones, dogs other than registered assistance dogs and bags larger than a sheet of A3 paper are not allowed, and no one under 12 is admitted.

Is there a visitor levy on Edinburgh hotels at Hogmanay?

Yes. Since 24 July 2026 Edinburgh charges a Visitor Levy of 5% of the accommodation-only price, before VAT, for the first five consecutive nights of a stay. A VAT-registered hotel adds VAT to the levy, so it works out as 5% of the VAT-inclusive room price.

Sources & further reading

Dates, rules, prices and hotel terms change, and the closure notices, transport plans and some pages for 2026/27 were not yet published when we checked; where we describe last year’s arrangements we say so. Every hotel detail here was checked in October 2026; confirm minimum stays, rates and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.

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