From a magical Christmas market and Santa’s grotto to an iconic ice rink and other events, Scotland’s capital is home to some of the world’s most famous festive attractions. With stops serving so many key locations across the city centre and beyond, Edinburgh Trams is a safe and reliable way to travel to and from venues over the next few weeks. What’s more, the operator is set to offer free, late-night services on New Year’s Day to help partygoers make the most of the Hogmanay celebrations. Here are the highlights of December, as well as the nearest tram stops.
Saturday, December 3
Easter Road (Hibernian FC)
3pm kick off
12 Albion Pl, Edinburgh, EH7 5QG
Nearest tram stop: McDonald Road
Hibernian are about to take on Aberdeen in this Scottish Premiership fixture at 3pm at the Hibernian Stadium. Hibernian currently rank 5th and have won the League Cup six times, being runners-up on nine occasions. Aberdeen, by contrast, hold 10th position and have won both of their previous League Cup games.
Wednesday, December 6
Usher Hall
7:30pm
Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EA
Nearest tram stop: West End
Regarded as the ‘Gold Standard of Tribute’, the Bootleg Beatles return this Christmas for another nostalgic whirlwind trip through the sixties. With fantastic attention to detail, the band is known for replicating the sound and style of the Fab Four through each well-remembered phase of their remarkable career. This multi-media show is an absolute must-see for Beatle fanatics of all ages.
Love Actually in Concert – Film with Live Orchestra
Thursday, December 7
Usher Hall
7:30pm
Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EA
Nearest tram stop: West End
The star studded and Christmas favourite ‘Love Actually’ will come alive across the UK this winter, with a full orchestra performing its soundtrack live to screen. ‘Love Actually in Concert’ has become an annual festive tradition for many, gathering numerous sold-out audiences in previous years. Boasting an all-star cast, it features Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson, Martin Freeman, and many more.
Thursday, December 7 – Sunday, January 14, 2024
Edinburgh Playhouse
Various times
18-22 Greenside Pl, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA
Nearest tram stop: Picardy Place
Launching its latest UK tour, Wicked is casting its magical spell on audiences once again. The enchantment begins at the Edinburgh Playhouse, with a glorious 5-week run from Thursday, December 7, to Sunday, January 14, 2024. This essential musical provides an unforgettable experience in the heart of Edinburgh, with music and lyrics by multi-Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz. Wicked has been dazzling theatres all around the world for two decades.
Friday, December 8
St Giles’ Cathedral
7:15pm
High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1RE
Nearest tram stop: Princes Street & St Andrew Square
London Concertante is an ensemble that has captivated audiences around the world with their unique and enchanting Candlelight Concerts for more than three decades. Renowned for their exceptional performances, the ensemble’s innovative approach combines the timeless beauty of classical music with the intimate and ethereal atmosphere created by the warm glow of candlelight in the most inspiring of spaces. For this exciting evening in Edinburgh, London Concertante brings Vivaldi’s masterpiece to life in a wonderful concert featuring gems of baroque music inspired by the festive season. This will showcase the composer’s art; a jewel of his extraordinary ability to illustrate moods as diverse and contrary as violent winds or birdsong, fox hunts, and drunken stumbles.
Evening Concert Series: Piccadilly Sinfonetta
Monday, December 11
St Giles’ Cathedral
7:30pm – 9pm
High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1RE
Nearest tram stop: Princes Street & St Andrew Square
The popular Piccadilly Sinfonetta gives two performances of highlights from Handel’s Messiah, along with some wonderful music for strings by the incomparable Bach. Since its foundation in 2017, this orchestra has become a regular feature on Britain’s concert scene and employs some of the most prodigious musical talent there is. The group performs under the artistic direction of its founder, accompanied by concert pianist Warren Mailley-Smith.
Saturday, December 16
Usher Hall
7:00pm
Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EA
Nearest tram stop: West End
The Unthanks premiere their dream-like winter fantasia, embracing both the dark and the light in the most ritualistic of seasons (moving in and out of focus, just like a memory, a hymnal to our shared winter experience. Echoes of winter tunes known throughout the western world, mix with the traditional and the newly written, all passed with great care and love through The Unthanks filter. The heart-warming pathos and glacial majesty present in their music to date makes a winter concert a mouth-watering prospect. The Unthanks are the perfect band to bring us an abstract new work capturing the magic and wonder of the turn of the year; the end and beginning of the circle of life.
Edinburgh International Magic Festival
Wednesday, December 20, Sunday, December 31
Various venues and times
Nearest tram stop: West End, Princes Street, St Andrew Square
Edinburgh International Magic Festival is back this Christmas with a mind-blowing programme of shows, events, and workshops to bring wonder and fun to the festive season. This festival promotes magic as an art form and celebrates the limitless possibilities of human imagination, while supporting local communities by giving them a chance to showcase their work.
Saturday, December 30
Scottish Gas Murrayfield
3pm kick off
Nearest tram stop: Murrayfield
Sports fans are in for some action in the lead-up to the city’s Hogmanay celebrations, with the world’s rugby’s oldest club derby playing at Scotland’s national stadium on Saturday, December 30. A bumper crowd is expected, and everyone is encouraged to bring their friends and family to enjoy a brilliant day out, while backing the club and Edinburgh.
Sunday, December 31
West Princes Street Gardens
9pm
Nearest tram stop: West End
Pulp’s headline appearance at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay marks the Sheffield band’s first live show in the capital for over 20 years, where they will perform the last show of 2023 and the first of 2024, bringing in the bells beneath the majestic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Fronted by Jarvis Cocker, Pulp has provided the soundtrack to a generation, and Concert in the Gardens promises a hit filled set of career spanning pop anthems including Common People, Disco 2000, and Do You Remember the First Time? What’s more, Edinburgh Trams will be rolling free, late-night trams on New Year’s Day to help revellers get home or back to their accommodation as safely as possible.
The city’s tram operator offers a fantastic array of money-saving ticket options, including its popular ‘Family Day Tripper’ which is suitable for families and friends travelling together, and further details can be found here.
