Big Burns Supper Winter Festival is a Winner at Commonwealth Games
Music, cabaret and song by 120 performers offers a foretaste of January’s nine-days of Burns celebrations in Dumfries
The Commonwealth Games last night saw crowds on the streets of Glasgow and an audience of specially invited guests treated to a stylish preview of next year’s Big Burns Supper.
Large numbers gathered to watch costumed carnival characters, Highland dancers and dozens of members of the Dumfries Community Choir perform in St Enoch Square.
At the same time national and international media plus travel industry figures enjoyed Le Haggis, Scotland’s sexiest cabaret, as part of a drive to promote Scottish cultural events to potential visitors from around the world.
All the entertainers will be appearing at the nine-day Big Burns Supper festival in Dumfries next January – Europe’s top winter fringe festival.
Graham Main, Festival Director, said: “It was a spectacular evening, taking the best of Dumfries and Galloway to the Commonwealth Games.
“It was brilliant to bring a big winter festival to Glasgow in the summer and let people know that Scotland is a great place to visit all year round.
“Burns would have loved it all – the games, the show, the whole buzzing atmosphere. He adored the bawdy and had a real zest for all that’s best and most fun in life.”
The combination of singers, musicians, costumed performers and cabaret artists thrilled the audience with dazzling entertainment.
Among them were dozens of members of the Dumfries Community Choir with a performance similar to the ones that have thrilled the crowds at the Wickerman and Eden festivals.
Taking part in the cultural activities surrounding the XX Commonwealth Games was a great chance to further raise the profile of the annual Big Burns Supper, in Dumfries, which will expand in 2015 to become a nine-day festival wrapped round the Bard’s Birthday.
Robert Burns was famous for his love of the bawdy, and the preview will feature highlights from Le Haggis, Scotland’s sauciest cabaret, which was a huge hit at this year’s festival.
The show was at the Laphroaig Lounge at the Teacher Building in St Enoch Square.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said: “The eyes of the world are on Scotland just now as we play host to the biggest sporting event in Glasgow’s history, so what better time to give visitors a taster of what else they can enjoy during a trip to Scotland?
“The Big Burns Supper is always a feast for the eyes and a chance to celebrate our national bard within one of the country’s most scenic regions. I’m delighted that the performers and organisers are using the huge opportunity that the Commonwealth Games presents to preview their show to international media.
“That is exactly why we helped create the Destination Media Hub, to offer international media the chance to experience the very best that Scotland has to offer.”
The Dumfries Community Choir are renowned for their unexpected take on familiar songs. It is the biggest vocal ensemble in southern Scotland and will be supported by local musicians.
Highlights included:
• Miss Behave – sword swallower, cabaret variety act
• Tom Harlow – boylesque
• Novantae – providing a soundtrack of Robert Burns songs
• Caileag plus other up-and-coming Scottish musicians.
There were costumed carnival characters outside along with Hamish the Haggis, who is the mascot for Big Burns Supper’s programme of entertainment for young people.
The audience was also treated to refreshments from Dumfries and Galloway to give them a taste of the region’s high quality produce.
Big Burns Supper 2015 will take the 2015 UNESCO Year of Light as its theme.
The festival is made possible by support from many organisations including Creative Scotland, Homecoming Scotland, Winter Festivals Burns Night, 8020 and Dumfries and Galloway Council.
