Diwali, Holi & Indian Festivals in Edinburgh - Complete Celebration Guide

Scotland is not where most Indians expect to find a proper Diwali parade with fireworks over Princes Street, but Edinburgh genuinely has one - and it is bigger than most people assume. Here is what is actually real, actually happens every year, and where to find it, rather than a generic list of festival names.

Edinburgh Diwali is an official annual celebration launched in 2015 by the Lord Provost together with Edinburgh's Indian diaspora, and it marked its 10th anniversary in November 2025. It is free and open to everyone, centred on West Princes Street Gardens and the Ross Bandstand, and typically runs from early afternoon into the evening (1pm-7pm for the 2025 edition). Expect a parade, classical and Bollywood-style dance performances (past years have featured Bharatanatyam and groups like Nikkan Dance Academy), music, a mela-style market, and fireworks closing out the evening. It also effectively kicks off Edinburgh's winter festival season. The Scottish Hindu Foundation is one of the organisations involved in the community side of the celebrations. Check Edinburgh.org's events page or Culture Edinburgh closer to the date each year for the confirmed schedule, since exact timings shift annually.

Alongside the city-wide event, the Edinburgh Hindu Mandir in Leith holds its own, smaller-scale Diwali observance with aarti and diya lighting for the community. Check their calendar for the current year's dates - this is the more intimate, prayer-focused version of the festival compared to the big public parade.

Vaisakhi is marked in Edinburgh with a Nagar Kirtan procession organised through the Guru Nanak Gurdwara - a procession led by the Panj Pyaree with the Guru Granth Sahib, singing shabads through the city and ending back at the Gurdwara with a community feast. The Consulate General of India has attended in past years, which gives a sense of scale. Glasgow's Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan tends to be the larger of the two in Scotland, so if you want the bigger version, that is worth the trip - see our Edinburgh vs Glasgow guide.

I will be straight with you here rather than invent a fixed city event: I could not verify a dedicated, official Holi festival in Edinburgh the way Diwali has one. Holi tends to be celebrated more informally by student societies, families, and community WhatsApp groups, often outdoors when the (unreliable) Scottish spring weather cooperates. Your best bet is to ask at the Edinburgh Hindu Mandir or check university Indian society pages closer to the date, since organisers vary year to year.

For a proper multi-night Garba and Dandiya scene, Glasgow's Hindu community venues generally put on a bigger show than Edinburgh's - see our temples and Gurdwaras guide for Glasgow addresses. Edinburgh's Navratri celebrations tend to be smaller, community-hall affairs organised informally rather than one fixed annual event.

Eid celebrations centre on Edinburgh Central Mosque on Potterrow, with community Eid prayers and, in many years, organised iftar and feast gatherings during Ramadan. See our halal food guide for where to eat afterwards.

- Biggest, most reliable event: Edinburgh Diwali, West Princes Street Gardens, early November - free, parade and fireworks, since 2015
- More intimate Diwali: Edinburgh Hindu Mandir, Leith
- Vaisakhi: Nagar Kirtan procession via the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Leith
- Holi & Navratri: informal, community-organised - check the Mandir or university Indian societies closer to the date
- Eid: centred on Edinburgh Central Mosque, Potterrow

Want a ride to any of these, or planning a group visit for a festival? WhatsApp us - we offer fixed-fare group transport rather than everyone booking separately.