Russell Kane, Nish Kumar & Rosie Jones Announced for Big Burns Supper 2022

The first set of acts for 11th Big Burns Supper have been announced as festival organisers promise a return 'as close to normal as possible' for the 2022 festival which runs from 14th - 30th January across Dumfries. Big Burns Supper is the largest community platform in the South of Scotland, with over 250 events each year, and the biggest contemporary Burns Festival in the world.

An increase in comedy signals a refreshed vision for the festival to develop as Scotland's Winter Fringe Festival, which includes the same level of events over a longer period of time to help accommodate audience capacity, public health measures and to offer a relaxed experience for local and visiting audiences to make more of the festival experience and to explore Dumfries as a destination.

Comedians Russell Kane, Nish Kumar, Rosie Jones join festival favourites Skerryvore, Scottish Album of the Year 2021 contenders Stanley Odd, the return of homegrown festival favourite Celtic cabaret Le Haggis Royal and London African Gospel Choir performing a special rendition of Paul Simon's Graceland, thirty-five years after its first release. The 2022 festival opens with the Eden Winter Warmer, a magical winter celebration in partnership with the Eden Festival.

Following last year's cancellation of the physical festival due to Covid, the 2022 programme reflects learnings as gained from delivering a hugely successful online event in 2021 while so embracing the opportunity to try something new. The refreshed festival model also reflects input from an extensive 18-month community consultation about the future of the festival, a result of which ushers in several new initiatives to help sustain a balanced growth into the next decade, including reduced operating hours mid-week and a longer festival which will run over a three-week period, helping to drive stronger social and economic impact. The 2022 festival programme also includes an increased in experiential events to offer a more diverse programme, scheduled at different times of the day with the hope of engaging a wide range of new and established audiences.

An increase in comedy signals a refreshed vision for the festival to develop as Scotland's Winter Fringe Festival, which includes the same level of events over a longer period of time to help accommodate increased audience capacity and public health measures. Community engagement remains at the heart of the festival, and is reflected in various aspects of the revamped 2022 offer including; the return of the much-loved Dumfries Carnival, commitment to utilise empty buildings in Dumfries town centre as festival spaces and Stand-Up Dumfries, a new stand-up comedy show showcasing local comedic talent.

Further programme details on the revamped 2022 festival will be made in October.

Graham Main, Chief Executive of Big Burns Supper said: "Our line-up and remodelled festival includes as much humour and community togetherness as we could possibly achieve. We feel, that more than anything our audience could do with a laugh and a chance to reconnect with old friends and new. We've listened and learned a lot since our last physical festival in 2020 and we are confident and so very excited that our massively revamped 2022 festival represents not only the best of our local community and the finest artists in the UK, but also really properly shows off the transformative power of the arts to bring us back together."

Councillor Adam Wilson said; "Dumfries and Galloway Council is delighted that 2022 can be welcomed in with an extended Big Burns Supper Festival. It was sorely missed in Dumfries town centre in 2021 but online it gained a worldwide profile to promote our region's charismatic and confident cultural sector. Big Burns Supper has more surprises than a hyperactive jack in the box and I'm really looking forward to taking in many of its events."

Tickets are available now online at www.bigburnssupper.com, in person at the Creative Hub in the Loreburne Shopping Centre or by calling 01387 733717.

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