Fifth birthday event packs in the crowds with mix of major acts, carnival, cabaret, schools events and youth theatre
Big Burns Supper celebrated its 5th birthday with its best and most colourful festival yet.
The nine-day event included a huge Burns Night street carnival as well as cabaret, comedy, music and theatre.
Perhaps the biggest hit of all was Le Haggis, the homegrown cheeky Scottish themed cabaret showcasing top local talent alongside national and international acts. Nine out of 10 performances were sold out.
Overall attendance and participation figures are still being calculated but there was a large turnout for many events and shows.
Audiences packed the Spiegeltent main venue for gigs by The Bay City Rollers, Black Grape, The Dublin Legends, Eddi Reader, The Treacherous Orchestra and Irish comedian Jason Byrne.
The festival also featured tea dances which were highly popular among older folk and care home residents, theatre by young people and emerging performers and Celtic Circus – a fast-moving and fun show for children.
Graham Main, Big Burns Supper Artistic Director, said: “We had high hopes for our fifth birthday festival, but the quality and the sense of fun exceeded all expectations.
“It’s quite amazing the way people from all over Dumfries and Galloway have taken Big Burns Supper to their hearts and are coming together every year now to make it a success.
“We are firmly rooted in the community and aim to provide events and entertainment that get as many people involved as possible, and also to attract visitors in from the rest of the UK to show them what a brilliant place Dumfries and Galloway is to visit.”
Big Burns Supper works closely with schools and other organisations throughout the year to promote creativity and interest in the performing arts.
This year it worked with brown’s hair salon and Primo Piano Italian restaurant on projects called Salon 1962 and Dinners by Children in which pupils from Lochside and St Ninian’s primary schools took over for the day.
Children from 13 local primary schools performed in the carnival, while other schools, community groups and families attended free workshops where they made lanterns for the parade.
There was an extra special element to the carnival this year with a huge fireworks display which were funded by local not for profit organisation, The People’s Project and supported by the Dumfries Devorgilla Rotary Club, Asher Associates, Murray Farmcare, AA Fitness, Clydesdale Bank, M R Rodger & Partners and James B Kerr Ltd.
Partner venues including The Globe and the Coach and Horses also hosted a series of gigs and other events as part of Big Burns Supper.
The festival also teamed up with Strictly for Charity, to help it raise funds for half a dozen good causes.
Big Burns Supper is supported by partners including the Holywood Trust and EventScotland and benefits from £45,000 from Dumfries and Galloway Council.
