Strongest brothers discover fire, folklore and community spirit

When champion strongmen Luke and Tom Stoltman visited Shetland to experience Up Helly Aa, they weren’t just here for the dramatic event.

They were seeking something real – a piece of living culture inspired by Shetland’s Norse history, centuries of tradition, and a deep community spirit that brings the islands together in the heart of winter. They discovered all that and more.

Up Helly Aa, held on the last Tuesday of January in Shetland’s capital town, Lerwick, is Europe’s largest winter fire festival. It’s also the most spectacular event in Shetland’s fire festival season when tradition meets a modern community spirit that burns as brightly as the flaming torches that snake through the streets, illuminating the long winter night.

Although the festival lasts 24 hours in late January, it truly begins much earlier.

The hordes of guizers taking part spend weeks and months preparing suits and a unique squad act.

But for the Guizer Jarl, the preparations last 15 years, as part of the organising committee. In the last 12 months of that period, the Jarl’s Squad works tirelessly in strict secrecy, designing their Viking suits, with many of the intricate details crafted by hand.

Meanwhile other volunteers work through the winter, building a magnificent replica Viking galley, making over a thousand torches, and preparing for a celebration that will be remembered long after the last flame dies down.

For many, the highlight of the entire 24 hours is the torchlit procession through the streets of Lerwick. At precisely 7.30pm a rocket blasts into the night sky and the torches are ignited to form a procession, led by the Jarl’s Squad, that stretches through the town.

For visitors like the Stoltmans and locals, the heat of the flaming torches cutting through the chill winter air is unforgettable. As the procession reaches its conclusion, the burning torches are cast into the structure — and flames leap skyward, consuming months of craftsmanship in moments.

This is fiery theatre with history and heart, reflecting Shetland’s Viking roots and the return of longer days.

What the Stoltman brothers capture so vividly in their film isn’t just the spectacle of the fiery traditions, but the people behind them. Shetland’s Up Helly Aas are community festivals at their core. Communities stretching from the South Mainland to the northernmost island of Unst host their own festivals between January and March. Each is a celebration of shared identity, collaboration and pride (as well as a great excuse for an end-of-winter party).

Lerwick hosts the biggest, but whether it’s Northmavine, Nesting & Girlsta or Norwick, every Up Helly Aa has that same buzz. Neighbours come together, generations sit side-by-side in halls, enjoying music, dancing and feasting into the early hours, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with visitors who’ve made the trip.

It’s no wonder the Stoltman brothers were wowed by the festival’s visual spectacle but equally by the people, landscape and stories that make Shetland unique.

Whether you’re seeking dramatic adventure, cultural depth, or a glimpse into one of Europe’s most spirited traditions, Up Helly Aa in Shetland delivers. And there’s no better time to start planning your visit.

Enter the Up Helly Aa 2026 giveaway to be in with a chance of winning a return trip to Shetland, courtesy of NorthLink Ferries, and a Viking Voyages tour with Adventure Shetland.