Badly Drawn Boy to play Big Burns Supper in Dumfries

Former Mercury Prize winner Badly Drawn Boy is one of the first acts announced

The first acts to be part of the next edition of the Big Burns Supper have been revealed.

Badly Drawn Boy, Donovan, Ocean Wisdom and Eddi Reader will perform at the festival to be staged in Dumfries from 18 to 28 January next year.

Organisers have promised further announcements in the weeks to come for the seventh year of the event.

Executive producer Graham Main said it would be the event's "biggest and boldest" programme to date.

Ocean Wisdom will also be coming to Dumfries in January

The festival is returning to its traditional Spiegeltent venue having dropped it for this year's event.

It will be located at the Whitesands car park rather than next to the town's Loreburn Hall where it had been held in previous years.

The most recent edition of the festival saw attendances of more than 30,000 across 11 days of music, theatre, comedy, cabaret and children's events.

Donovan said he was looking forward to performing in Dumfries.

Donovan said he was impressed at how the festival had grown

"I was born in Scotland and my father Donald read Burns to me throughout my childhood," he said.

"After being invited a fair few times I am finally going to be able to play Big Burns Supper and am very impressed with how the festival has grown into what it is today.

"I have put a tune to the Burns poem The Banks of Doon which will be released as a single in January and the proceeds will go to preserve the River Doon in Ayrshire."

Mr Main said the organisers were "buzzing" about the return of the Spiegeltent.

Festival regular Eddi Reader will perform again this year

He said the Le Haggis cabaret show was also getting a "makeover" for this year's event.

International Development Minister Alasdair Allan said: "The festival is adopting a modern, creative twist to celebrate our national bard.

"Big Burns Supper has created a world-class programme that will include concerts and outdoor events planned across Dumfries."