Up Helly Aa 2024 Viking fire festival: How to watch live
Grab your ax and head to your longship as LiveNOW celebrates the Scottish Shetland Islands' Nordic heritage.
Tuesday, beginning at 2 p.m. ET, LiveNOW from FOX will be covering the annual Up Helly Aa, a festival that takes place in Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, Scotland.
WATCH LIVE: Tap ‘play’ on the video player above.
Shetland represents a group of islands located to the northeast of mainland Scotland.
The archipelago, which comprises more than 100 islands, has always had a unique culture and history from the mainland, heavily influenced by its Norse heritage.
What’s an Up Helly Aa?
File: The galley is burned to mark the end of the procession during the evening procession of Up Helly Aa 2023 on January 31, 2023 in Lerwick, Scotland. (Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
The annual festival is the largest fire festival in all of Europe and is traditionally held on the last Tuesday of January each year. The festival is heavily influenced by ancient Viking traditions harking back to the days the Nords conquered the area in the 9th century.
Torchlit processions will fill the streets of Lerwick where squads of "guizers" – otherwise known as costumed participants wearing Viking costumes – meet to burn a Viking longship symbolizing a traditional Norse funeral pyre.
Viking festival: Lerwick Up Helly Aa
One of the largest Viking festivals is set to take place in Scotland and you can catch all the fiery action right here, Live, Raw and Unfiltered. Thousands will gather in the Shetland islands to celebrate a night of Viking history. Join us Tuesday at 2pm Eastern for Lerwick Up Helly Aa, right here on LiveNOW from FOX.
There are actually 12 Up Helly Aa festivals that are held across Shetland between January and March, but Lerwick’s is the one you’ll want to see.
Every year a Jarl is crowned to lead the processions. This year, Richard Moar, a Shetland engineer, has been lucky enough to be tasked with the honor.
Where did the festival originate from?
File: Guizers walking on the torchlit procession before burning during the evening procession of Up Helly Aa 2023 on January 31, 2023 in Lerwick, Scotland. (Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
The name "Up Helly Aa" has its roots in the Shetland dialect, which is influenced by both Norse and Scottish Gaelic languages. The phrase itself is believed to be a combination of Old Norse and Scottish words.
The iconic festival traces its roots to the late 19th century when it replaced a previous tradition of rolling barrels of lit tar through the town, an act that was eventually banned in 1874.
Some of those traditions were eventually converted to the festival today, which many believe was first practiced in 1881.
Why is this year special?
File: Young girls for the first time have joined the procession at the 2023 Junior Up Helly Aa. (Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
2024 is the first year where women join the Jarl’s squad.
The Jarl's Squad is a key feature of the Up Helly Aa festival, representing a Viking chief. Comprising individuals in elaborate Norse costumes, the squad accompanies the Jarl in a torchlit procession through Lerwick.
Last year was the first year women actually took part in the procession. This year, women and girls can actually be a part of the Jarl’s squad and lead the procession through town.
Females have typically been restricted to participating in the festival as "hostesses." A campaign to end gender restrictions began in the 1980s.
LINK: Watch the full event in the player above or on livenowfox.com