Crowds gather in Shetland for Up Helly Aa fire festival
The event takes place in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January each year and attracts visitors from around the globe.
Tuesday 27 January 2026 18:37, UK
Crowds have gathered in Shetland for the world-famous Up Helly Aa fire festival.
The annual event takes place in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January and attracts visitors from around the globe.
The much-loved festival sees people dressed as Vikings march through the streets of the town to recreate its ancient past, in a tradition dating back to the 19th century.
The walk is led by the Guizer Jarl, or chief guizer, and culminates in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a replica longboat.
Volunteers are responsible for the building of the galley boat and the production of more than 1,000 torches.
In the evening there will be a host of celebrations in halls around the town.
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Shetland and neighbouring Orkney were ruled by the Norse for about 500 years until they became part of Scotland in 1468.
The festival stems from the 1870s when a group of local men wanted to put new ideas into Shetland's Christmas celebrations.