1 The Spiegeltent
The Spiegeltent in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square is covering pretty much every performance genre this year. Comedian Al Murray has promised surprise guests each night at The Pub Landlord’s Festive Saloon (Mon 29–Wed 31 Dec), or there are terrifyingly impressive Australian circus skills at Scotch and Soda (until Sun 21 Dec). If all-male burlesque tickles your fancy then there’s that too from Briefs (Thu 18 Dec–Sun 4 Jan), or just party the night away with a string of Number One hits from the 1950s to the present day at Hot Dub Time Machine (until Wed 17 Dec).
The Spiegeltent, Edinburgh, various times and dates.

2 Comedy
It’s been a long year, so if a night laughing at the expense of others is what the doctor ordered then head to Hogmanay Hootfest. Jo Caulfield, Ian Coppinger, Keir McAllister, Liam Withnail and Bruce Devlin will take to The Stand in Edinburgh, while Tom Stade, John Gillick, Susie McCabe, Dan Petherbridge and Billy Kirkwood are entertaining the Glaswegians.
The Stand, Edinburgh & Glasgow, Sat 27 Dec–Thu 1 Jan, 8.30pm.

3 Filmhouse screenings
Scotland Galore is a series of Scottish-based film screenings taking place at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse. Movies showing include French animation The Illusionist, Virginia Heath’s From Scotland with Love with its score by King Creosote (our reviewer was adamant ‘it works like a dream alongside the film’), infectious musical Sunshine on Leith and Billy Connolly on top form in What We Did on Our Holiday.
Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 27 Dec–Sun 4 Jan, various times.

4 Spoken word cabaret
This installation of Rally & Broad’s literary-themed cabaret night is the ‘hangover special’, which explains why the live music, dancing and spoken word takes place during the day. Performers include poets nick-e melville, Leo Glaister and Sam Small, singer-songwriter Becci Wallace and Zara Gladman & the Wee Terrors.
Stereo, Glasgow, Sun 28 Dec, 2.30–5pm.

5 Torchlight Procession
Last year over 35,000 participants and 8,000 torchbearers took part in the annual opening event of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, making for a spectacular sea of light across the city. Expect no less this year, with the route starting at George IV Bridge, going down the Mound into the city centre and finishing at Waterloo Place and Calton Hill for a fireworks finale.
Start at George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Tue 30 Dec, 7pm.

6 Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party
As well as their Spiegeltent tenancy, Hot Dub Time Machine are also making an appearance at the Hogmanay Street Party, which boasts the world’s largest outdoor dance floor. Fresh from their surprise Mercury Prize win, Edinburgh natives Young Fathers play the Waverley Stage along with Twin Atlantic and the Twilight Sad. Meanwhile, over at the Scottish Stage, Eddi Reader, Breabach, Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson are performing.
Princes Street, Edinburgh, Wed 31 Dec, 9pm–1am. Street party arena opens at 7pm.

7 Live music
If freezing your socks off on a packed street just isn’t your cup of tea, then head to Glasgow for live music on NYE. Up-and-coming rockers Tijuana Bibles play King Tut’s with support from Crash Club and Medicine Man. Over in the O2 ABC, American DJs the Martinez Brothers will be bringing (down the) house.
Tijuana Bibles, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Wed 31 Dec, 8.30pm; The Martinez Brothers, O2 ABC, Glasgow, Wed 31 Dec, 10pm.

8 Ceilidh
Whip out your moves and reel in 2015 with some traditional Scottish dancing. Glasgow’s Hogmanay Ceilidh in St Andrew’s in the Square offers haggis and a dram to revive you as you get sweaty, plus music from the Ardoch Ceilidh Band. If you’re Edinburgh-side, The Keilidh on the Mound has a ‘ceilidh caller’ to sort out your pas de basque from your high cut, and the wonderfully named electric ceilidh band the Jimi Shandrix Experience will be keeping time.
St Andrew’s in the Square, Glasgow, Wed 31 Dec, 7pm–1am; The Mound Precinct, Edinburgh, Wed 31 Dec, 9pm–1am.

9 Fireworks
If it isn’t clear from the list so far, Edinburgh takes Hogmanay very seriously indeed and this year is no exception. Dubbed as ‘Edinburgh’s Midnight Moment’, even the traditional midnight fireworks display from Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill has been expanded, with rockets et al erupting every hour, on the hour, from 9pm until midnight.
City centre, Edinburgh, Wed 31 Dec, 9pm.

10 Clubs
For a serious night out, Optimo Hogmanay in Glasgow is taking over the Art School. At the Assembly Hall, Boot & Tax, JD Twitch and JG Wilkes take to the decks, and in the Vic Bar, Whilst and Golden Teacher are in charge. In Edinburgh, the Summerhall Hogmanay features Signed, Sealed Delivered, a club night of Motown, disco and funk in the atmospheric Dissection Room, with live DJ sets and a performance from female vocal harmony trio the Harmonettes.
The Art School, Glasgow, Wed 31 Dec, 10.30pm–4.30am; Summerhall, Edinburgh, Wed 31 Dec, 9pm–3am.

11 Burlesque
From ukulele playing to a tartan dominatrix, Club Noir New Year’s Eve Burlesque promises to be a distinctly unique way to see in 2015. Performances also include Russian Cossack dancers, Ida Barr from La Clique, and Twinset & Twirls, ‘the world’s only tassel-twirling twins with a double whammy shimmy’. Sounds exciting. Just remember to dress up: jeans and trainers are banned.
O2 Academy, Glasgow, Wed 31 Dec, 9pm.

12 Loony Dook
There’s a strong chance you’ll be suffering when you wake up on the first day of 2015, and the South Queensferry Loony Dook is a surefire way of getting rid of that hangover. This parade culminates in a (freezing) swim in the River Forth under the Forth Rail Bridge to shock your body into a new year. If you can’t face venturing out of the city then Scot:Lands (see page 19), a series of music, theatre and visual art events, is taking place across Edinburgh too.
South Queensferry, Thu 1 Jan, parade 1.20pm; dook 1.30pm.