Burns Night 2017: Where to Celebrate

Good old Burns. Not only did he gift Scotland with his beauteous lyricism and rebellious civil commentary, his life and works also provide excuses aplenty to flank January with drunken singing, whisky toasting and tatty consumption. Cheers Rabster.

This year, Scotland's got a beastly line-up in store, kicking off with Burns Unbound at the National Museum of Scotland. Aimed at families, it'll be ram-packed with creative activities, performances, ceilidh dancing, interactive theatre, performed poetry and live music from Aonach Mor, Jeana Leslie and Adam Brown and Barluath. Conveniently, it’s also on a Sunday afternoon, meaning you can bring along a wee one to run off a bit of energy. 22 Jan, 11am, free

For a food-centric night, let the good chefs at The Gladdie treat you to a feast at their Burns Supper. There'll be a decadant spread on offer, featuring veggie and vegan options, not to mention a side of live entertainment. The Glad Cafe, Glasgow, 24 Jan, 7.30pm, £25

After a banging inaugural shindig last year, BEAMIS (Black and Ethnic Minorities Infrastructure in Scotland) returns with their Celtic Connections Burns concert, A Toast Tae the Lassies. The line-up includes Jamaican roots-reggae artist Brina performing with members of Tribal Global Collective, and a set from young Pakistani singer Sanam Marvi. Plus, your ticket includes dinner! Sounds heavenly. Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 25 Jan, 8pm, £20

Next up, it's A Burns Souper, a wholesome shindig of a fundraiser featuring a delightful triad of music, charity and soup. For just a fiver, you'll get Union of Genius soup, Wee Boulangerie bread, About Patisserie bread and a wee dram courtesy of Glengoyne Highland Single Malt. But what's all this fundraising for, I hear you ask? Well, after dinner, you'll see a variety of pitches from a variety of local creative and community projects and vote for who should win a big pot of donations. Just like Dragon's Den (but more soupy). Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, 26 Jan, 7pm, £5

What with all this Burns chat, it’s easy to overlook the fact that 25 Jan also marks the birthday of Virginia Woolf. Luckily, Glasgow Women’s Library is well and truly onto it, hosting Herland: Burns Night/Woolf Supper a ‘Bard-infused Bohemian gathering’, including readings, music, supper and performances from Lila Matsumoto, Nuala Watt, Rahat Zahid, and MacGillivray. Oh, and the dresscode? Servin’ Bloomsbury chic with a Burns Night twist. GWL, Glasgow, 27 Jan, 7pm, £10-20

Back in Edinburgh on 27 Jan, the rabble-rousers (pun intented) at Neu! Reekie! will be firing up the belly of Leith with their Burns Blazer. Turn up for 'an alternative and suitably sexy take on the Bard', with music from Brina and Idlewild's Roddy Woomble and Rod Jones; poetry and readings from Kathleen Jamie, Kevin Williamson, Craig Lithgow and BARK Collective; and a DJ set from new Scottish record label Triassic Tusk. Thomas Morton Hall, 7pm, £18 (£16)

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Think we're missing something? Let us know about your Burns event at kate@theskinny.co.uk