Scotland's stars line up to celebrate Burns Night with a modern take on the Bard's best-loved classics

As Scotland celebrates its national poet tomorrow [25 January] BBC’s Burns Night 2026 gives us an evening of music, poetry and entertainment on BBC TV and radio with a line-up of musical performers including Marti Pellow, Callum Beattie, Cammy Barnes, Paige Turley, Lucia Fairfull, Pippa Blundell, James Emmanuel, Roisin McCarney and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Broadcaster Kirsty Wark will also perform some of Burns’ poetry, presenter Grant Stott will deliver the Immortal Memory and the toast to his enduring legacy and pupils from Montgomerie Park Primary in Ayrshire will perform To A Mouse, with the help of an animated rodent.

Excited to perform Burns songs and give their own takes on the Scottish classics, the contemporary performers from across the musical genres tell us what Robert Burns means to them.

Burns Night 2026, BBC One Scotland, 25 January, 7pm, BBC Scotland, 25 January, 9pm, Radio Scotland, 25 January, 8pm.

PAIGE TURLEY

The singer, songwriter from West Lothian reached the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent in 2012 when she was just 14 and won Love Island in 2020. Known for being the inspiration for Lewis Capaldi’s Someone You Loved, Turley is an advocate for mental health, has performed at Glasgow's SSE Hydro and recently starred as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the SEC. She is currently working on her original music, ahead of releases in the new year.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, AND WHY?

Yes, I think Robert Burns is definitely still relevant. He writes about love, friendship and pride in where you come from - all things that matter to me!

WHICH OF HIS SONGS ARE YOU GOING TO BE SINGING AND WHY THAT ONE?

I will be singing Now Westlin Winds. It’s emotional and gentle. I like how he uses nature to describe his feelings.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

My favourite Burns poem is Ae Fond Kiss. It’s always stuck with me because I won a competition in primary school (Croftmalloch Primary School, Whitburn) for reciting it, so it has good memories attached to it. It’s sad, but in a beautiful way.

RÓISÍN MCCARNEY

A Glasgow-based alt-pop performer, deeply rooted in her Scottish and Irish heritage, McCarney has a passion for storytelling and is known for her energetic live performances. She appeared on The Voice UK in 2024 and last year saw her debut EP Guess Who? exploring love, dating and self-discovery, and a UK and Ireland tour.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, AND WHY?

Robert Burns is 100% still relevant today. He is Scotland’s Shakespeare. Even though his work is written in old Scots, his stories and meaning are still everything we can relate to today. And celebrating Burns Day makes me very proud to be Scottish.

WHICH OF HIS SONGS ARE YOU GOING TO BE SINGING AND WHY THAT ONE?

I’m singing A Red Red Rose. I’m feeling very honoured to sing one of Robert Burns’ most famous love songs - most of my own music is about love and heartbreak so it feels very fitting to me. My name Róisín actually means little Rose and my fans call themselves my roses so it’s all lining up.

My understanding of ‘Red Red Rose’ is that his love for whomever this song is about will never end. I’m cheesy and I love love, so the song just makes me smile whenever I hear it.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

I love reading poems. One of my favourite Robert Burns poems is Ae Fond Kiss and one of my favourite poets is Rupi Kaur.

CALLUM BEATTIE

The Scottish singer-songwriter from Edinburgh has released six singles, two EPs and two albums, People Like Us in 2020 and Vandals in 2023. This year he will tour England and also play Edinburgh Castle Esplanade in July and at Belladrum 26.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, AND WHY?

I think his work is more relevant than ever. In a time where many countries are struggling with their identity, his work is a massive part of Scotland’s heritage and I think it’s a really important component of our history.

WHICH OF HIS SONGS ARE YOU GOING TO BE SINGING AND WHY THAT ONE?

I’m singing Green Grow the Rashes, a song I absolutely love. Mainly because I’m a big Dougie MacLean fan and I absolutely love his version of the song.

It reminds me of who I am - it’s such a beautiful, heartfelt melody. What’s not to like?!

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

I think my favourite is Ae Fond Kiss - beautiful lyrics and a beautiful melody too.

JAMES EMMANUEL

Nigerian-born, Edinburgh-based soul/R&B singer whose songs like Nothing But Love and EP Time To Heal have taken him from busking on the Royal Mile to performing at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. He ended 2025 winning the Spotlight award for emerging artists at the Scottish Music Awards.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY?

Yes! People all over the world join hands and sing his words at Hogmanay in celebration, keeping togetherness alive and kicking. That is the Scotland I know - acceptance for someone like me, a Nigerian-born Scot making his way. Like Burns, I am proud to be Scottish; he stands for a hope for the future which keeps him vitally relevant today. Burns is able to represent the everyman in his writing. I love that about his work.

WHICH OF HIS SONGS ARE YOU GOING TO BE SINGING AND WHAT DOES THAT SONG MEAN TO YOU?

I’m going to sing A Man’s a Man for A’ That. It’s a powerful call to judge people by character rather than what they have: brotherhood, equality and togetherness is at the forefront. It’s the kind of storytelling I aspire to in my own song writing as it’s how I see the world, so the connection as an everyman is there for me.

“The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor, Is king o’ men for a’ that”. The story of building a life and career from the bottom in a new place reflects my journey too. Burns’ humble roots, pride in his background and role as a father are all things I deeply relate to.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

A Man’s a Man started to emerge as a favourite the more I’ve learned and really spent time learning it and certain pieces of it now genuinely resonate with me.

I’m especially excited to perform this one live, not just because it’s an amazing song, but because the words carry a lot of weight and personal meaning.

It also means so much to my Scottish partner and their family, so performing it feels like a way of doing that connection justice, as well as the performance, from my heart, hopefully.

PIPPA BLUNDELL

Royal Conservatoire-trained Blundell is a singer songwriter who blends influences such as folk, classical vocals and ambient sounds. Nominated in the Scottish Album of the Year Awards and one of BBC Radio Scotland’s Vic Galloway’s ‘artists to watch’ since releasing her debut EP ‘sisters’ in 2023, she has supported corto.alto, 10cc, Rachel Sermanni, Kaia Kater and Nubiyan Twist.

Her debut album ‘common thread’, released last year, explores the different ways we love and her new EP will feature a Burns favourite.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, AND WHY?

Aye totally! Rabbie Burns is of course our national poet with well-crafted words and respected gift of the gab.

However, I believe he has left a legacy deeper than just his words… he is a symbol and tool for us to celebrate Scotland and what it means to be Scottish whether you’ve just arrived in this country or your family have lived here for generations.

I think his work manages to remain relevant to all of us today because he was just “yer average Jo” who reflected on the timeless beauty of love, nature, people, and politics that was simple and understood by everyone. Whether it was the beauty of landscape, love for a lassie or a friend, or the bottom of a whisky glass in the peak of winter, they were themes we can still relate to today!

In these complex and turbulent days we now live in, having something simple and timeless to hold on to and value is so important, and it’s great we continue to reinvent him for the modern day.

WHICH OF HIS SONGS ARE YOU GOING TO BE SINGING AND WHY THAT ONE?

I’m singing the love ballad Bonnie Jean, a story of young romance in its simplicity and innocence. I’ll be joined by my bonnie laddie ‘James’ on guitar. So, it feels fitting that we’re performing a love ballad in the spirit of ours.

WHAT DOES THAT SONG MEAN TO YOU?

To me this piece is about simplicity. Simplicity is something I try to thread through my own song writing; aiming to find simple truths, pleasures and contentment in the everyday things we do and reflecting on the micro moments that we often overlook in the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced lives.

Taking a breath for contemplation and observation of the sometimes mundane things we take for granted and finding a way to relate it to our own situations and experiences is important.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

My current favourite Burns poem is Ca’ The Yowes. We’ve actually just recorded a version of it which we’ll be releasing as part of a new EP in March this year. Again, it’s a classic farmers’ love ballad similar to Bonnie Jean but a strict reading of it today can seem a little creepy. So we’ve really leant into that by turning it into a sort of eerie, witchy, murder ballad. I really love it. We also recorded a dark and evocative music video shot in the Kilpatrick Hills in the depths of freezing January. So keep your eyes and ears out for that!

LUCIA FAIRFULL

Fairfull is front woman of Glasgow-based indie rock band Lucia & the Best Boys, who released their debut studio album Burning Castles in 2023 and supported Scottish/American rock band Garbage during the European leg of their 2024 tour.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, AND WHY?

Absolutely. Most people are made aware of him at a young age. I remember reciting a few of his poems at school and him being one of the first Scottish figureheads I learned about.

He has not only written so many beautiful timeless poems but has also created this space for communities to come together and celebrate their Scottishness, which is pretty iconic…

WHICH OF HIS SONGS ARE YOU GOING TO BE SINGING AND WHY THAT ONE?

John Anderson My Jo. It’s really romantic but quite brutal which I feel is quite typically Scottish…

When I first heard Eddi Reader singing it I was blown away. I hear similarities in her voice to mine when she sings this song, with her deeper tones, so that made me feel like it was even more of a good fit.

WHAT DOES THAT SONG MEAN TO YOU?

I hadn’t heard this song until a few months back, but as you can imagine I’ve been listening to it lots and I think it’s going to hold much greater meaning when I have this memory of singing it at City Halls with the orchestra. That’s something special you don’t forget.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

My Favourite Burns poem is My Heart’s In The Highlands because a lot of the time I do feel like my heart is in the Highlands. It’s my happy place and I can relate to every word… I also think it may have been one that I recited at a primary school Burns Night!

ALISTAIR HEATHER (HOST)

Aka 'Historic Ally', the presenter, writer and Scottish tour Guide has a passion for history and has written and presented two BBC Radio 4 documentaries and is currently writing his first book.

IS ROBERT BURNS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, AND WHY?

Yes. Burns drew very human themes of love, loss, injustice and joy, which speak as profoundly to us today as ever. His source material was the ancient folksong of Ayrshire and Scotland, which he refashioned for his own era; the deep ancestry of his lyrics lend them an eternal quality which resonates through the ages.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BURNS POEM, OR POEM IN GENERAL?

There’s a tiny fragment of a lyric, ‘Wantonness’, which is just one verse and a repeated chorus. It is so simple, elegant and pregnant with deep feeling.

The great Rod Paterson sang it unaccompanied on his Songs from the Bottom Drawer record. I urge you to check it out.

Burns Night 2026, BBC One Scotland, 25 January, 7pm, BBC Scotland, 25 January, 9pm, Radio Scotland, 25 January, 8pm.