Big Burns Supper unveils new format for return

Craig Charles will headline one of the special seven-hour events

The Big Burns Supper festival in Dumfries has unveiled a new format for its 2023 edition.

It will be the first in-person edition that has been able to run in the town since 2020.

The Spiegeltent venue has been dropped and there will be four one-off Le Haggis evening events at Loreburn Hall.

They will be headlined by Craig Charles, Skerryvore, Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 and The Bootleg Beatles.

Now in its 12th edition, the Big Burns Supper is traditionally held around the anniversary of Robert Burns' birth.

Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 will also play at this year's Big Burns Supper

This year it will see four evening events on 13, 14, 20 and 21 January along with two family-friendly editions on 15 and 22 January.

As well as the headline acts, a number of local bands will also be involved with four different performance spaces set up in the hall.

Executive producer Graham Main said: "For our comeback Big Burns Supper we are presenting a new, revised model.

"Six events - themed under Le Haggis or Family Haggis - and at every event the audience comes in for seven hours.

"So they'll experience Le Haggis' show - it is going to be more theatrical than ever with all the favourite elements - and on each event there will be a special guest."

Another special event will see The Bootleg Beatles play

He said they had had to "slow down" the festival after having to cancel so many events and refund ticket money last year.

They have also moved to putting on more shows throughout the year rather than just in January.