Edinburgh Christmas lights switch-on 2022: When and where festive lights will be switched on across Capital

All the details of Christmas lights switch-ons across Edinburgh in the coming weeks

As we head ever closer to Christmas, festive lights will be switched on across Edinburgh over the next few weeks. The Christmas programme has just been announced, with a festive market, ice rink, and Santa’s Grotto.

Always a great reason for communities to come together during the festive period, more Christmas lights switch-on events will also take place in other areas across the Capital. Most areas will have a formal event to mark the occasion, brightening up the city in the run-up to the big day in December.

The first local Christmas lights switch-on event due to take place will be in South Queensferry on Thursday, November 24 at 5.30pm. Two days later on Saturday, November 26, the lights will be switched on in Davidson’s Mains, at 6pm. Followed by the Stenhouse lights on Tuesday, November 29, at 6pm.

The Christmas Tree and the Christmas Rainbow at the Mound in 2020. Photo by Ian Georgeson.

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On Thursday December 1, the Christmas lights will be switched on in Roseburn (4.30pm), at Corstorphine Old Parish Church (6.30pm), Balerno (6pm) and Wester Hailes Plaza (5.30pm). The lights at Marchmont Crescent/ Warrender Park Road will be switched on at 4.30pm on Saturday, December 3. The following day, Sunday, December 4, Ratho Village’s Christmas lights will be turned on.

More festive fun will be had at the Christmas light switch-ons on Wednesday, December 7, in Bruntsfield at the Eric Liddell Centre at 5pm, and at St Patrick's Square at 6pm. Further switch-on events will take place in Portobello on Thursday, December 8 at 6pm, at White Park in Gorgie on Sunday, December 11, at 7pm, and finally, at Prestonfield on Monday, December 12, at 5.30pm.

Ahead of the switch-on events across the Capital, some lights have already been spotted in Edinburgh, including at Victoria Street, Shandwick Place and Haymarket. Other lamppost decorations were spotted in the city, and trees with white fairy lights were spotted near St Katherines Brae.