Part of our Taxi transfers from Edinburgh Airport to popular destinations guide
Quick answer
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October. The biggest event is the Samhuinn Fire Festival on Calton Hill, with tickets from £12 to £15. Ghost tours, whisky tastings and family trails run all week. Clocks go back on 25 October, so it is dark by late afternoon: pre-book your ride home, because taxis are in high demand on a Saturday Halloween night.
Halloween 2026 in Edinburgh at a glance
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Samhuinn Fire Festival | Calton Hill | Sat 31 Oct 2026, evening (ticketed, £12–£15) |
| Mercat ghost tours | Old Town | Selected dates 23–31 Oct |
| Haunted Drams whisky walk | The Lost Close, Old Town | Selected dates 9–31 Oct (18+) |
| Halloween Tasting Tales | Scotch Whisky Experience, Royal Mile | 23–25, 30, 31 Oct and 1 Nov |
| Halloween Pumpkin Festival | Conifox Adventure Park, Kirkliston | 16–31 Oct |
| Monsters and Myths | Dynamic Earth | Selected dates to 1 Nov |
Dates as listed by Forever Edinburgh and the organisers in October 2026. Check each event's own website before you go.
Samhuinn Fire Festival on Calton Hill
Samhuinn is Edinburgh's own Halloween: a modern take on the old Celtic new year, when hundreds of performers act out the battle between the Summer King and the Winter Queen with fire, drumming and acrobatics. It is run by the Beltane Fire Society on Saturday 31 October 2026 on Calton Hill.
- Tickets: £12 to £15 plus a booking fee, from beltane.org. Buy early.
- Age: under-16s must come with a full-paying adult. The show includes fire and some semi-nudity, so it is not for small children.
- Dress warmly and wear good shoes: the paths up Calton Hill are steep and dark.
Ghost tours and spooky nights out
Edinburgh's Old Town is made for Halloween. Walking tours go into the closes and underground vaults beneath the Royal Mile, and several are adults only in the last week of October. If you prefer a drink with your ghost story, Holyrood Distillery's "Distillery After Dark" and the Scotch Whisky Experience's "Halloween Tasting Tales" mix whisky with spooky tales. Bars and hotels across the city hold Halloween parties on the Saturday night.
Halloween with children
For families, try the pumpkin patch and mazes at Conifox Adventure Park in Kirkliston (close to Edinburgh Airport), the Monsters and Myths trail at Dynamic Earth, the Halloween hunt at Camera Obscura, or the activities at Dalkeith Country Park. Conifox's late-night "Scream Park" is for over-16s only.
Getting there and home safely
- It gets dark early. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so by Halloween it is dark before 5pm.
- Book your ride home in advance. A Saturday Halloween night means busy streets, road closures around events and long taxi queues after midnight.
- Calton Hill pick-ups: the hill gets very crowded. Agree a meeting point below it, for example on Waterloo Place or Leith Street.
- Out of town? Conifox, Dalkeith Country Park and hotels near the airport are easy by car but awkward by bus late at night.
We run 24 hours a day. Book a car for your Halloween night or a private driver for the evening, so your group gets home together. Flying in for Halloween weekend? Edinburgh Airport transfers are a fixed £48 to the city centre in a saloon.
Frequently asked questions
When is Halloween in Edinburgh in 2026?
Halloween is on Saturday 31 October 2026. The Samhuinn Fire Festival on Calton Hill takes place that evening, and many ghost tours and Halloween events run through the last week of October.
How much are Samhuinn Fire Festival tickets?
Tickets cost £12 to £15 per person plus a booking fee, from the Beltane Fire Society website. Under-16s must be accompanied by a full-paying adult.
How do I get home after Samhuinn on Calton Hill?
Pre-book a car and arrange a meeting point below the hill, such as Waterloo Place or Leith Street. Taxis are in high demand on Halloween night, especially after midnight.
Sources
Facts, fares and timetables checked 26 October 2026. They change, so check with the operator before you travel.