Festivals of Fire
All you need to know about Shetland’s Up Helly Aa festivals
About Shetland’s Up Helly Aa Festivals
Between January and March every year, communities across Shetland come together for a series of spectacular and unique fiery celebrations.
These fire festivals commemorate Shetland's Viking past and are also a triumphant demonstration of the islanders’ skill, spirit and sense of community. They bring together people from all generations and backgrounds, from across the islands, to celebrate.
Each Up Helly Aa is marked with a torch-lit procession through the streets, the symbolic burning of a galley (Viking longship), and then on to a night of feasting, dancing and fun.
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