Up Helly Aa — the Viking Fire Party
Viking Fire Festival · Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom
Small
The festival
A thousand torches in the night, a drakkar dragged into the streets — then delivered to the flames. To mark the end of Yule's season, hundreds of costumed participants — the "goats" — marched by night in Lerwick aux torches, led by Guizer Jarl and his troop disguised as Vikings, before burning the replica of drakkar built for the occasion, under the chants.
Tradition descends from the "tar barelling", the old-fashioned tar barrels, transformed into torches processions at the end of the 19th century; up to about 1,000 guizers participate in the procession, according to Wikipedia.
On D-Day, Lerwick lived at the pace of the Jarl Squad: at 6:00 a.m., the proclamation — the "Bill" — was posted at the Market Cross; the troupe marched into the streets in the morning, visited schools, the hospital and the Shetland Museum, and at 7:30 p.m. the procession started at the Hillhead, under the town hall, and descended to King George V's field, where the torches were thrown into the galley. The night then continues from room to room, each squad presenting its number in front of the guests, until the end of the night — the next day is a local holiday in Lerwick. The detailed programme of the 2027 edition is published on the official website of the festival.
A community festival, Up Helly Aa is prepared all year round by volunteers: 47 squads in total, including the Jarl Squad, who designs and makes costumes in secret as early as February, while the galley and torches are built at Galley Shed. Lerwick's procession was long reserved for men and women, and it opened up to women and girls from the 2023 edition — a historical evolution for a tradition that was over 140 years old.
Festival TV , an endless exploration of festivals and festivals around the world
The festival in images
Official photos of the festival, published in the gallery of its official website (uphellyaa.org) — photos offered to the site by their authors, credited under each image.
Video
The procession and the burning of the galley — the official direct 2023
Source: Promote Shetland — official festival broadcast
In our articles
To see around the festival
In Lerwick and the surrounding area, the trip is worth the detour before and after the night of the torches:
- Shetland Museum and Archives — Hay's Dock, in the centre of Lerwick: 6,000 years of Shetland history, a spectacular boat hall and the archipelago archives.
- Broch of Clickimin — the stone tower of the Iron Age on the edge of the Clickimin Loch, a few minutes walk from the city centre, with free access.
- Up Helly Aa Exhibition — Galley Shed, St Sunniva Street: May to September, life-size galley, Jarl Squad costumes and photos of past editions.
Good to know
The form of the drakkar has been in existence since 1881; the replica of drakkar has been burned since the 1880s. Presented by British guides as Europe's largest fire festival; ten more Up Helly Aa are held in Shetland from January to March. Organized by the Lerwick Up Helly Aa volunteer committee. Photo credit: © Roy Mullay — CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (2019 process). 2027 edition (official website): Tuesday, January 26, 2027 — Bill at the Market Cross at 6:00 a.m., Jarl Squad parades at 8:15 a.m., visit of the Shetland Museum at 3:30 p.m., start of the procession at 7:30 p.m. at the Hillhead. Observation of the procession and the burning from the street is free; dress very warmly, the January wind in the Shetland does not forgive.