What is Up Helly Aa?
Up Helly Aa is Shetland's fire festival, a midwinter celebration of the islands' Norse heritage held in the town of Lerwick. Shetland was ruled by the Norwegian crown until 1469, and the islands still feel closer to Bergen than to London in their place names, dialect and identity.
The festival as it exists today grew out of rowdier traditions. In the nineteenth century, young men in Lerwick marked the end of the Yule season by dragging burning tar barrels through the streets, to the alarm of the authorities. From 1876 that chaos was channelled into organized torchlit processions, and the galley, a replica Viking longship, became its centerpiece. Victorian enthusiasm for all things Norse did the rest, giving the festival its Viking costume and its chief, the Guizer Jarl.
Each year a new Jarl takes on the role, adopting a figure from the Norse sagas, and spends most of a year with his squad preparing costumes, shields and axes. The galley is built by volunteers over the winter. Its whole life leads to a single night: dragged through the streets, surrounded by torches, and burned.
The festival has changed in recent years. After long debate about the exclusion of women from the procession, organizers removed gender restrictions on squads in 2022. Women joined squads from 2023, and women and girls took part in the Jarl Squad for the first time in 2024.
A year of work, a ship built by hand, and all of it given to the fire in a single blaze.
Guizers and torches in the smoke at Up Helly Aa
Photo by Vicky Brock / flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0
What to expect
The day itself is long. The festival begins in the morning and does not end until the following dawn.
Morning
The Jarl Squad takes the town
The Jarl Squad marches through Lerwick in full costume, visiting schools, care homes and other community hubs. They stop at the Market Cross to read the Bill, a satirical proclamation poking fun at local life.
Evening
The torchlit procession
After dark, with the torches lit at 7:30 PM, guizers march behind the galley through the darkened streets in a long, slow loop. Spectators line the route; there is no ticket required to watch.
Evening
The burning of the galley
At the burning site, the guizers circle the galley, sing the festival's song, and throw their torches into the ship. It catches fast and burns hot, sending sparks up into the winter night.
Night
The halls
Squads visit community halls across the town through the night, each performing a short skit or dance before moving on. Hall guests eat, dance and drink until morning.
Planning your trip
Getting there
Shetland is reached by overnight ferry from Aberdeen or by flights to Sumburgh Airport from mainland Scottish cities. The NorthLink ferry sails in the evening and reaches Lerwick around 7:30 the next morning, taking about 12 hours direct or 14 if it calls at Kirkwall. Loganair flies to Sumburgh from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Both fill up in festival week, especially the ferry cabins, so book as soon as dates are fixed. From Sumburgh, a bus service and taxis connect to Lerwick.
Once you are in town, the main events are public and free to watch from the street, and the Wednesday after is a public holiday in Lerwick, so allow a slow morning before you leave.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Lerwick is very limited and in festival week it is often booked many months ahead. Look at guesthouses, self-catering cottages and options elsewhere on the mainland of Shetland, and consider arriving a few days early to explore the islands in winter light.
What it costs
Watching is free: the morning march, the procession and the burning need no ticket. The costs are in getting there and sleeping there, since flights, ferry cabins and rooms all book up and prices reflect that. Hall tickets are the one paid extra and are scarce; check the festival's official website toward the end of the year for how they are released.
Go like you know
- The Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick tells the islands' Norse story year round, and the Up Helly Aa exhibition at the Galley Shed shows past costumes and shields; its season runs through the summer, so check opening times if you return when the days are long.
- See the Jarl Squad in daylight. The morning march is relaxed and friendly, and it is the best chance to see the costumes up close.
- Read the Bill before you go to the procession. The jokes reward some local knowledge, and people will be quoting it all day.
- The day after is a holiday in Lerwick. Plan a quiet morning; the town certainly will.
- Look up the smaller fire festivals held in other Shetland communities from January to March. They are more intimate and easier to attend.
- Build a British fire circuit: Edinburgh's Hogmanay opens with a torchlight procession around December 29 or 30, and on November 5 the tar-barrel tradition lives on at Ottery St Mary in Devon and Lewes Bonfire Night in Sussex.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a ticket to see Up Helly Aa?
No. The morning march, the evening procession and the burning of the galley are all free to watch from the street. Tickets are needed only for the hall events that run through the night, and those are limited and mostly distributed locally. Most visitors watch the procession and burning, then head to a pub.
Can visitors join the procession?
Guizers are members of local squads who prepare all year, so visitors cannot simply show up and carry a torch. The best way to experience the procession is from the crowd along the route and at the burning site, where the atmosphere is just as intense.
How cold is it in January?
Expect temperatures hovering a few degrees above or below freezing, with strong wind and often rain or sleet. Wind chill makes it feel much colder, especially while standing still. Bring a warm waterproof jacket, thermal layers, a hat, gloves and boots with good grip for wet streets.
How do I get to Shetland?
Overnight ferries run from Aberdeen to Lerwick, and flights link Sumburgh with Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Ferry cabins and flights sell out quickly for festival week, so book as early as possible and allow extra time in case winter weather causes delays.
