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Big Burns Supper, Dumfries

Taking the festivities far beyond one night, Dumfries’ festival Big Burns Supper will run over two weekends on 23-31 January. The event will be held across a range of different venues in the Scottish town and is expected to surpass last year’s visitor numbers of more than 14,000.

Acts performing include Scottish singer Nina Nesbitt and cult 1970s band The Undertones, while guests can join in the Burns Tea Dance, Burns Night Carnival and Hamish the Haggis’s Mini Burns Supper.

Haggis, Beasts and Tatties, Inverness 

Devised and directed by Eden Court Creative, this performance of drama, dance and music inspired by Burns’ poems is as experiential as they come. The night (25 January) begins with a haggis hoedown and procession led by the Inverness Youth Pipe Band that will lead the way to Eden Court theatre for the main event.

A selection of Scottish food and drinks stalls from local suppliers will be available to try, before guests join with the Tattie Band for a Grand Burns’ Ceilidh.

Searcys at The Pump Room, Bath

This celebration aims to celebrate the life and poetry of Robert Burns while raising funds for charity The Forever Friends appeal. Guests will be able to enjoy a sparkling drinks reception around the torch-lit Roman Baths, before being served a dinner featuring fillet steak, ale gravy, Scottish dessert cranachan and, of course, Haggis.

There will also be a charity raffle and entertainment from a traditional piper, poetry reader and the White Horse Band.

Burns Night at Fortnum & Mason, London

Saturday 24 January will see the iconic London department store Fortnum & Mason host a traditional Burns’ Night Supper at its Fountain Restaurant in the heart of Piccadilly. The evening will begin with the Selkirk Grace, the procession of the haggis, its address and the plunging of the dirk, before guests tuck into a five-course meal of Scottish specialities, wines and whiskies.

Burns Unbound, East Kilbride

The National Museum of Rural Life is hosting experiences inspired by Burns’ writing from 24-25 January. Guests will be able to take part in a mice-handling session thanks to a partnership with Animalman Mini Zoo, in homage to the poet’s famous verse To a Mouse.

There will also be live music, a family trail and a Burns Supper masterclass led by Wendy Barrie from the Scottish Food Guide.

Macsween Haggis

For those who would rather perfect the art of the Haggis themselves, food brand Macsween Haggis has partnered with experiential agency Circle to encourage the public to think of the divisive food as an everyday ingredient. More than 100 chilled #MealMakeover boxes were hand delivered by brand ambassadors to food bloggers, influencers and journalists, encouraging them to create haggis nachos or haggis spaghetti and share their results on social media.

Macsween also activated at Borough Market earlier in the year with sampling and recipe demonstrations.

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