28-01-2025
Up Helly Aa: Europe's biggest fire festival returns to Shetland
The streets of Lerwick will once again fill up with fire and smoke later as Shetland gears up for the return of its world famous Up Helly Aa fire Helly Aa - Europe's biggest fire festival - is traditionally held on the last Tuesday of January and celebrates Shetland's Norse of visitors travel to the UK's most northerly islands to watch the evening torchlit procession through Lerwick, which reaches its climax when the replica of a Viking long ship is set on fire. Women and girls made history last year when they joined the main "squad" at the head of the procession for the first time in more than 140 years.
More than 40 groups, locally known as "squads", march through the streets of Lerwick before throwing their torches at an ornamented wooden galley. The celebrations then move to the many community halls, where they continue until as late as 07:00 the next the head of the procession is the "Jarl Squad" led by its chief, the Guizer Jarl. Its members, who become Vikings for the day, wear custom-made suits, axes and shields. For Calum Grains, who had to wait for 17 years to take up his position as the 2025 Guizer Jarl, the last Tuesday in January is always a special day. "Up Helly Aa is such a great community event - it marks the end of that winter period and we are starting to look forward to the new year again," he said."It's one of these huge things that make Shetland unique."
