Big Burns Supper festival unveils line-up for 2025 return

Festival regular Eddi Reader is among the acts performing at Big Burns Supper when it returns next year

A festival which was cancelled following its failure to secure key funding has unveiled its plans to return in 2025.

The Big Burns Supper in Dumfries was not held this year but organisers promised it would be back.

They have now unveiled a programme including Wet Wet Wet and Eddi Reader - as well as the "world's first underwater Burns Supper".

In total it promises more than 150 events between 17 January and 2 February at a number of venues.

Wet Wet Wet will perform at the Loreburn Hall

The 2024 event was cancelled in October after it had run for many years, celebrating Scotland's national bard in the town where he wrote some of his most famous works.

Organisers blamed the decision on the failure to secure funding from EventScotland - which said it had been unable to support it after a "robust and thorough" assessment.

Big Burns Supper said its financial backing from other organisations would be "rolled over" until 2025 in order for it to resume.

It has now unveiled the programme which it said would "blend tradition with bold new experiences".

Among those is the underwater Burns Supper to be held in a custom-built venue to deliver a "dining experience that promises to be like no other".

The acts to perform across the festival include Wet Wet Wet and Eddi Reader who will be in action at the Loreburn Hall.

Other highlights include Tom McGuire and the Brassholes, The East Pointers, Julian Taylor, The Cinelli Brothers and Bombskare.

Alongside the headline acts will be a Dumfries Carnival and lantern procession as well as a festival fringe including a range of other performers.