The magnificent 1992 pipe organ at St Giles'

31 December, 7:30pm

Ticket update on 30 December:  Tickets are still available.  We recommend you book online and then collect in person at the Hub ticket office, on the Royal Mile near Edinburgh Castle. 

A far more serene lead-in to the New Year is offered at St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile, through its annual Candlelit Concert of classical music. Held early in the evening, before the city-centre revels get underway, the quality programme is perfectly matched by the atmospheric surroundings of the Church of Scotland's High Kirk.

This year, the programme features two of the world's favourite composers - Bach and Mozart - performed by St Giles' own choir and an array of young soloists.  It's always a cultured but cheerful occasion, with fine music and fine surroundings contributing to a relaxed and festive mood.

Much of the pleasure of the event lies in the building itself; a grand monument to a distinctively Scottish religious history, a statue of John Knox glowers over proceedings from beside the northern door. The cathedral's proud, too, of its stunning organ, which with 4,000 pipes is one of the newest of its size in Europe.

The event attracts a wide range of concert-goers, but the organizers do add a stern footnote that it is "not suitable" for babies and young children. And be warned, it gets chilly - best to take your woollies.  Tickets, at a flat rate of £17.60, are available online, and there's usually good availability into December - but it does sell out in the end, so don't delay too long.

We quote prices including the per-ticket online booking fee, which we think best reflects the price most people will actually pay.  This is why the prices you see here don't match the ones you'll find on the Hogmanay website.