Edinburgh Festival Carnival parade a colourful success in the sunshine despite Princes Street fire closure

The Edinburgh Festival Carnival parade was a colourful success in the sunshine today, despite the Princes Street fire closure threatening to derail the previously annual event.

Following a three-year break, and the recent Princes Street fire leading to a late re-route of the parade, thousands lined the streets of the city centre in the blazing sunshine on Sunday, July 19, as performers brought noise and colour to Edinburgh, much to the delight of the large crowd.

Edinburgh Festival Carnival 2026, organised by Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, saw more than 1,000 performers parade from The Mound at 1pm down to Princes Street before heading into West Princes Street Gardens by 2.30pm, “celebrating the world in one city”, said organisers.

The multi-cultural party at Ross Bandstand was then scheduled to last until 7pm, with thousands of locals and visitors enjoying the noise and colour at this fun free event.

Due to the Princes Street closure from Frederick Street to South Charlotte Street, instead of heading down the western length of Princes Street, the parade joined Princes Street and headed eastwards towards St David Street before turning back on itself to march along Princes Street until Frederick Street, where it turned again to reach the entrance to West Princes Street Gardens.

The colourful parade slowly made its way down from the Mound, with the infectious beats and sounds of drummers and various musicians creating a real party atmosphere, with large crowds all along the route featuring locals and visitors of all ages having fun in the sun.

Stay in the know when it comes to the latest news from Edinburgh and the Lothians with our daily newsletter. Sign up for free today!

It was announced earlier this year that the Edinburgh Festival Carnival would be returning for the first time since 2023 after receiving a cash boost from the upcoming introduction of the Visitor Levy.