Castle of Light is not running in winter 2026. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) confirmed on 1 October 2026 that the after-dark light show at Edinburgh Castle will not go ahead this year. The castle is still open and decorated for Christmas by day, and Edinburgh has plenty of evening light trails elsewhere, so a winter trip planned around the show needs a new plan for the evenings, not a new destination.
Castle of Light 2026: the short answers
- Is Castle of Light on in 2026? No. HES confirmed on 1 October 2026 that the after-dark light show will not go ahead this winter.
- Why? HES said the event needed a "very substantial planning, operational and financial commitment", and that storms and high winds had forced cancellations and refunds in past years. Leadership decided not to extend the contract.
- What should I do instead? Visit the castle by day for its new festive decorations, Victorian Christmas performers and Christmas Afternoon Tea. Then book an evening light trail: Christmas at the Botanics or Edinburgh Zoo's Giant Lanterns.
- Will it come back? No return has been announced. HES says it remains committed to working with the Council and city partners on "future activity", but it has made no promise about Castle of Light. Treat any "2026" or "2027" Castle of Light ticket listing with suspicion.
What happened: Castle of Light cancelled for winter 2026
On 1 October 2026, HES confirmed that Castle of Light would not return this winter. The Edinburgh Evening News, STV, PA and others reported the news. HES gave three reasons:
- Cost and workload. The show required a "very substantial planning, operational and financial commitment" from HES teams across the organisation.
- Weather. The event was "highly weather dependent". In HES's words, high winds and storms "caused cancellations in previous years, leading to large numbers of refunds, additional staff time, and financial uncertainty". STV reported that the most recent run, in 2025–26, was itself hampered by winter storms and high winds.
- Sustainability. Taken together, HES said, the event was "no longer sustainable", and its Executive Leadership decided not to extend the contract for Castle of Light.
In its place, HES says it will invest in its festive daytime offer at the castle: brand new decorations, family activities and its Christmas afternoon teas. HES said the decision was about making sure its events "are sustainable, represent value for the public", and that it uses its resources "in the most responsible way".
What about the people who made it? A consortium of Scottish creative companies produced Castle of Light in partnership with HES. According to the BBC, HES worked with Edinburgh designer Andy McGregor and with local production companies including War Productions, Double Take Projections and NL Productions. The show's producer was Alastair Young. No plans have been announced for the consortium or for a replacement show elsewhere in the city. We'll update this page if that changes.
What Castle of Light was: a quick history
Castle of Light was an after-dark walking trail of projections, light installations and sound inside the castle grounds. HES's own release for the 2025 opening called it "the UK's largest annual projection show", and HES told the BBC it brought in more than 200,000 visitors after it started in 2019. There were six editions in all, with a gap in 2020 because of Covid.
| Edition | Dates | Theme and highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (2019) | 14 Nov – 22 Dec 2019 (Thu–Sun) | The original Castle of Light: the castle's history, geology and myths, including a dragon in the rock. Adult tickets were £20 in advance. |
| — (2020) | Not held | Cancelled because of Covid-19 |
| 2nd (2021–22) | 18 Nov 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 | Hidden Treasures: 160-degree projections and a golden dragon |
| 3rd (2022) | From 18 Nov 2022 | Kingdom of Colours: an expanded show with kaleidoscopic projections |
| 4th (2023–24) | 24 Nov 2023 – 3 Jan 2024 | Magic and Mystery: Scotland's myths, legends and "sorcery" |
| 5th (2024–25) | 22 Nov 2024 – 4 Jan 2025 | 900 years of Edinburgh: the city's 900th anniversary, plus a chance to "fire" Mons Meg |
| 6th (2025–26) | 21 Nov 2025 – 4 Jan 2026 | Fire and Ice: a dragon in the sky and an Ice Queen in the Great Hall |
The final edition, Fire and Ice, ran mainly on Friday and Saturday evenings, with entry slots every 15 minutes from 4.30pm to 7.30pm and closing at 9pm. Standard tickets were £24 adult, £19 concession and £15 child. There were £10 tickets on St Andrew's Day (30 November 2025) and on the closing night (4 January 2026).
Other Experiences You Might Enjoy
Winter nights in Edinburgh start mid-afternoon: an evening ghost tour of the underground vaults beneath the Royal Mile, a dram at the Scotch Whisky Experience by the castle gates, or a day trip to Stirling Castle and the Kelpies before the light goes.
What's on at Edinburgh Castle this winter instead
With no evening show this year, the castle's festive programme runs entirely in daylight hours. Here is what's listed for 2026:
- Christmas at the Castle: the official site promotes festive decorations, a "magical atmosphere" and festive food between 18 November and 31 December. HES has said this year's decorations and family activities will be brand new. Full details hadn't been published at the time of writing.
- Victorian Christmas: living-history performers bring Christmas traditions to life on selected dates from 5 to 13 December 2026. Performances like this are normally included in castle admission, but check when you book.
- Christmas Afternoon Tea: served in the Queen Anne Tea Rooms in Crown Square from 1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 (not on 25 or 26 December), with sittings between 11am and 2.30pm. The package costs £70 per adult (£80 with Champagne) and £35 per child, and includes castle admission. If you already have entry through an Explorer Pass or a Flexi ticket, there's a tea-only option from £50. HES sells the tea through its own ticket shop; book it early, because December weekends go first. Our guide to Edinburgh Castle at Christmas 2026 has the full festive timetable.
The castle is open daily in winter except Christmas Day and Boxing Day (see the Christmas opening days), and timed tickets usually sell out online first. Our Edinburgh Castle in November guide has the winter hours, 2026 ticket prices and the reopened Crown Room, where the Honours of Scotland are back on show. If you'd rather hear the castle's story from a guide on a cold day, our Edinburgh Castle tours guide compares the guided options. For a daytime visit with the story built in, the Edinburgh Castle Guided History Tour with Tickets (from $52, 4.8/5 from 12,831 reviews on GetYourGuide) includes entry and a 1.5-hour guided walk.
Best after-dark alternatives to Castle of Light
Of the alternatives, Christmas at the Botanics comes closest to Castle of Light. It's an illuminated art trail produced by Culture Creative with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and 2026 is its 10th anniversary year. Edinburgh Zoo's Giant Lanterns is the better pick for families, and it runs well into February. Choose the Botanics for an art trail on a date before 30 December, and the zoo if you're travelling with children or visiting in January or February.
| Event | 2026–27 dates | Times | Price guide | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas at the Botanics (Royal Botanic Garden) | 19 Nov – 30 Dec 2026 | Timed entry from 4.15pm | 2026 prices not yet confirmed. 2025 advance adult tickets were £19 off-peak and £25 standard. | Couples and art lovers; 18+ nights on 25 Nov and 7 Dec |
| Edinburgh Zoo's Giant Lanterns, "Journey Beyond the Stars" | 13 Nov 2026 – 21 Feb 2027 (60 nights) | Entry from 4.45pm, last entry 8pm, closes 9pm | Adult £22–£23.50, child £16.50–£17.50, family £74–£79 (plus booking fee) | Families with kids; quiet nights on 10 Dec and 11 Feb |
| Edinburgh's Christmas (East Princes Street Gardens) | 14 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Markets usually 10am–10pm; Big Wheel last admission 9.30pm | Free entry; rides are extra | Castle views from the Big Wheel and Star Flyer |
| WinterFest at Dalkeith Country Park | Selected dates from late Nov 2026 | Varies | Varies by activity | Santa visits and festive workshops (no 2026 light trail announced) |
| Ghost and underground vault tours | Year-round | Evenings | Varies by operator | Adults and teens who want spooky Old Town stories. Our pick: the Underground Vault Evening Ghost Tour with Whisky (from $42, 4.7/5 from 2,843 reviews). More in our vaults and ghost tours guide. |
A few notes:
- Botanics: the Royal Botanic Garden offers off-peak pricing on selected evenings and reduced family tickets. Relaxed sessions run at 4pm on 29 November, 2 December and 9 December. Tickets are sold through the event's own website.
- Zoo: the lantern trail is on a hill, and the animals aren't on view during trail hours. Prices above are the zoo's own standard and off-peak rates, and early-bird discounts are offered for a limited time.
- Dalkeith: the Spectacle of Light trail ran in earlier years, but we couldn't find a 2026 edition. Check Dalkeith Country Park's website before you plan around it.
- Edinburgh's Christmas: this is the city's main festive programme, and it's what you'll photograph below the castle. The market in East Princes Street Gardens is a short walk down The Mound from the castle, so a castle morning and a market evening fit easily into one day.
How to still see Edinburgh Castle lit up at night
You don't need a ticket to see the castle glowing. It's floodlit after dark, which in November and December means from mid-afternoon. These are our favourite free viewpoints:
- The Vennel (Grassmarket): climb the steps from the Grassmarket and turn around for the classic framed shot of the castle above old tenements and lamp posts. It's quieter at night than by day.
- Princes Street Gardens and the Ross Fountain: stand right under the castle rock, with the Christmas market lights and Big Wheel close by.
- Calton Hill: the panoramic view over Princes Street to the castle is best at blue hour. Bring a torch for the path down.
- Grassmarket and Johnston Terrace: these give close-up angles on the castle walls looking up.
- The Big Wheel: ride it in the evening for a bird's-eye view across to the floodlit castle.
Winter evenings are cold and often windy, so dress for it: a warm waterproof layer, a hat and shoes with grip for wet cobbles and the Calton Hill path. Our best time to visit Edinburgh guide has the winter daylight and weather month by month. If you're in town for New Year, the castle is the centrepiece of the Hogmanay fireworks.
Ticket warnings and refunds
- Don't buy "Castle of Light 2026" tickets. The event isn't happening. Some third-party ticket and listings sites still carry old Castle of Light pages, and a few still describe the show as an annual event. Treat any page offering 2026 or 2027 dates as out of date or a scam.
- Official tickets were only ever sold online through HES (castleoflight.scot), never at the castle gate. HES's terms said tickets were non-refundable but could be moved to another date. As far as we know, no official 2026 tickets went on sale.
- If you paid someone for 2026 tickets, contact the seller first. If they won't refund you, ask your card provider or PayPal about a chargeback, and report the site to Action Fraud. For any official HES booking, email ticketing@hes.scot.
Dates and prices were checked on 15 October 2026 and can change. Confirm with the official event websites before you travel.