University news

They could never have imagined the outcome of a small gathering of friends and admirers in July 1801 in memory of Scotland’s national bard.

That intimate memorial to mark the 5^th anniversary of the death of Robert Burns has since grown into one of the world’s most enduring cultural and literary rituals – the Burns Supper.

Now, the Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS) at the University of Glasgow is launching a new campaign, The Burns Supper at 225 Years: Scottish Tradition, Global Reinvention.

Building on nearly six years of pioneering research, the CRBS is calling on people worldwide to help create a crowdsourced archive of Burns Suppers events, viewable through an interactive global map to be launched in July next year on the 225^th anniversary of the first Burns Supper. It is hoped the new archive will feature poems and songs performed at Burns Suppers around the world as well as videos, photographs, recipes and clothing worn.

This new crowdsourced archive of global Burns celebrations will also form the basis of a submission to a UK wide search for traditions to be recognised as UK living heritage following ratification of the UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Professor Pauline Mackay, Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS), said: “The Burns Supper is not just a historic ritual, it's a modern phenomenon and one of the most wide-reaching and impactful examples of Intangible Cultural Heritage to come out of Scotland and, indeed, the United Kingdom. This celebration is a living tradition that continues to evolve and we want to capture that and link people around the globe celebrating Scotland’s national bard by finding out what foods they eat, what they drink and which Burns poems or songs feature in their celebrations. We are not only interested in who celebrates the Burns Supper and how, but also the ways in which it has been adapted to incorporate different cultures.”

From Ayrshire to Vancouver, from the Arctic Circle to the summit of Kilimanjaro, more than 9.5 million people now celebrate Burns Night each year on 25 January, the poet’s birthday. The CRBS’s interactive Burns Supper map, first launched in 2021, already features over 2500 events across five continents. Now, with the 225th anniversary of the first Burns Supper approaching in 2026, the Centre has expanded its research to capture the full diversity of this remarkable tradition. The Burns Supper today has become a living and evolving tradition blending heritage, cultural expression and global voices in memory of Scotland’s bard which can be seen in everything from haggis pakora in Scotland to Reggae-infused Burns celebrations in Jamaica.

The new phase of the project is made possible by the Shaw Bequest, a significant philanthropic gift from American benefactors Susan Shaw and her late husband Frank of Atlanta, Georgia.

The Centre has appointed Dr Cleo O’Callaghan Yeoman as Research Associate to lead this next chapter. Dr O’Callaghan Yeoman, who recently completed her PhD, brings deep expertise in Scottish literature and a strong commitment to public engagement.

Dr O’Callaghan Yeoman said. “What makes this project so exciting is the propensity of the Burns Supper tradition to respond directly to a burgeoning interest in the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in ways that emphasise and celebrate the local as well as global impact of Scottish literary culture.”

Planned activities include renewed crowd-sourced research on Burns Suppers worldwide, an expanded interactive map featuring multicultural menus and performances, an archive of the Burns Supper as Intangible Cultural Heritage, a submission to the ‘Inventory of Living Heritage’ recently launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and a themed conference on 17 January 2026 in collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland.

For Professor Murray Pittock, the Burns Supper is not only a cultural treasure, it’s an economic powerhouse. His 2019 report, commissioned by the Scottish Government, revealed that Robert Burns contributes over £200 million annually to the Scottish economy, with nearly £140 million in brand value.

Professor Pittock said: “Burns is not only Scotland’s national bard, but he is also one of its greatest economic and cultural assets.  His legacy drives tourism, festivals, food and drink and education. The Burns Supper is a key part of that legacy. Its global reach and adaptability show how heritage can be both rooted and responsive, traditional and transformative. Austria has long capitalised on the Mozart brand and the country’s capital Vienna today gains over €10bn earnings from cultural tourism. Compared to that, Burns and the Burns Supper remain an underleveraged resource - a sleeping giant in Scotland’s culture, heritage as well as food and drink industries. This next phase of research will help us understand how Burns continues to shape Scotland’s identity and economy in the modern world.”

Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, said: “As we approach the 225th anniversary of the very first gathering in honour of Robert Burns, this global tradition of Burns Suppers continues to evolve in remarkable ways. The Scottish Government welcomes the launch of pioneering research by leading academics from the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Robert Burns Studies into how Burns Suppers are celebrated and reimagined around the world.

“The largest social gathering linked to a single writer in the world, the Burns Supper is a symbol of Scottish friendliness, humanitarianism and internationalism and forms a vital means of developing our Scottish Connections worldwide.”

 

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Take Part in The Burns Supper at 225 Years Research Project

The Centre for Robert Burns Studies is now inviting everyone from seasoned Burnsians to first-time hosts and/or guests to share their stories, images and insights on how they celebrate Burns Night around the globe.

To participate, please visit the Centre for Robert Burns Studies’ website, or the QR code below where you will find a link to and instructions for how to complete our global survey and send us your photos, videos, and recipes. Please direct all queries to Professor Pauline Mackay and Dr Cleo O’Callaghan Yeoman at arts-burnssupper@glasgow.ac.uk

 

 

The Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS)

The Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS) is the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns (1759-96), his contexts and associated literatures. Establishing itself as a cross-disciplinary area of research excellence which has attracted major financial and intellectual investment, CRBS has brought together the largest concentration of Burns experts in the world and their work has impact on a global scale. In February 2024, CRBS was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for the centre’s world leading research and scholarship on Scotland’s national poet. The Queen's Anniversary Prizes, now known as the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education, celebrate excellence, innovation and public benefit in work carried out by UK colleges and universities. The Prizes are the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education and are granted every two years.

First published: 18 December 2025