Summer begins as Beltane Fire Festival starts celebrations
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Bleu Hope
The celebration is the spring and summer counterpart to the Samhuinn Fire Festival, that takes place in October
Almost 10,000 people attended the annual Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh on Thursday night to celebrate the beginning of the summer season.
The celebration on the city's Calton Hill is led by the May Queen and Green Man, and includes theatrical dancing as well as roaring fires.
The modern fire festival has been running since 1988 and is the spring and summer counterpart to Samhuinn Fire Festival, which is also held at Calton Hill on 31 October.
The fire society charity is run by volunteers who want to mark the fire festivals of the ancient celtic calendar and keep traditional street theatre, music and pageantry skills alive.
Izzy Henry
Almost 10,000 people attended the celebration
Dan Lile
The festival has taken place every year since 1988
Sébastien Lemaire
The festival is a modernisation of an ancient Iron Age Celtic ritual
Kitt Bunney
The festival includes the light of the Beltane Fire
Zhi Kang Chua
Fire plays a key role in the festival
Kitt Bunney
The word 'Beltane' roughly translates to 'bright fire'
Zhi Kang Chua
The event is an immersive experience
Edinburgh