World's first underwater Burns Supper announced in Scottish Borders

THE world's first-ever underwater Burns Supper has been announced as it aims to offer an immersive celebration of the famous Scottish poet.

Part of the Big Burns Supper 2025 in Dumfries, the quirky take on the traditional supper will be held in a custom-built underwater venue with visitors being treated to an evening of live performances.

Along with the underwater show the festival, which runs from January 17 to February 2 across Dumfries and Galloway, will host more than 150 events in 30 different venues.

A Burns supper is traditionally an event which aims to celebrate the life and poetry of Robert Burns and is normally held on or near the poet's birthday, also known as Burns Night, on January 25.

Some of the festival highlights include the Burns Supper on a Bus, where attendees can enjoy haggis, neeps, and tatties, while touring the streets of Dumfries on a vintage red bus.

There will also be live performances with legendary pop band Wet Wet Wet kicking off Burns Weekend, and Eddi Reader joining local musicians as the festival’s Burns Night Live event will be broadcast live from Loreburn Hall across the world.

(Image: Big Burns Supper)

Graham Main, executive producer and founder of Big Burns Supper, hailed the underwater event as in keeping with Burns’s “rule-breaking” personality.

He said: “We are excited to bring something so original and daring to Big Burns Supper. The Underwater Burns Supper really reflects the festival’s spirit of curiosity and fun while honouring Scotland’s national poet in a way he would surely have enjoyed—by breaking all the rules!”

The Dumfries Carnival will also be held during the festival and will see more than 10,000 people lining the streets to watch 800 participants with more than 2000 lanterns light up the Scottish Borders town in this year's 1950s theme.

The festival, which is the UK’s largest winter fringe festival with more than 150 events each year,  is the biggest Burns Night celebration in the world and will host a mixture of cabaret, comedy, music, and entertainment.

Other highlights from the 2025 programme include:

• Tom McGuire & The Brassholes
• The East Pointers
• Julian Taylor
• Cinelli Brothers
• Bombskare
• Belfast Community Gospel Choir
• Clubland Classical by Funktion and Kaleidoscope Orchestra
• Edinburgh Gay Men’s Chorus
• The Girobabies
• Emily Barker

You can find more information about Big Burns Supper 2025 here.