Burns&Beyond has been a staple of Edinburgh’s winter season for years, enlivening the city with a crammed programme of live music, arts, ceilidhs and other special events, and this year’s programme looks set to raise the bar once again. 

Want to make sure you don’t miss a thing? Then read on for our rundown of some events we’re looking forward to when the festival takes place from Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 January. 

HEART

The latest public sculpture from German artist Michael Pendry will make its UK debut at St Giles’ Cathedral this month, in collaboration with Burns&Beyond and St Giles’ 900th, the organisation putting on events to celebrate 900 years since the cathedral's opening. Filling the serene space is HEART, a three-dimensional five-metre-tall work that represents the human heart in its most romantic form. 

Pendry has already cemented his reputation in the city with his previous work Les Colombes, which filled the nave of St Giles’ Cathedral with 2,000 paper doves. If HEART can reach the same impressive scale, it’ll be well worth seeking out. 

St Giles’ Cathedral, Saturday 27 January – Saturday 10 February.

Callum Easter TV Special 

Hometown lad Callum Easter is fresh from an extensive world tour as the guitarist for Young Fathers, and now he’s back and ready to break out some material of his own. This unique evening will find Callum Easter and his band The Roulettes joined by a variety of special guests, who’ll indulge in as much experimentation as you’d expect from Leith’s songwriting king. 

A live show from Easter has the electrical spark of an idea being teased out onstage, until it coalesces into something fully formed and wholly exhilarating. For those who enjoy a walk on the wild side, Easter’s yer man. 

Assembly Rooms, Thursday 25 January.

Museum Late: Big Burns Ceilidh

The National Museum Of Scotland will continue its Museum Late series in association with Burns&Beyond, hosting a massive ceilidh in honour of Scotland’s inimitable Bard. Keeping the party in full flow will be the Jacobites Ceilidh Band, who’ve become known for their high-energy interpretations of Scottish and Irish folk. 

The night will also feature bite-sized talks and activities with the museum’s curators and learning team, as well as a bar and free access to the museum’s Wildlife Photographer Of The Year exhibition. 

National Museum Of Scotland, Friday 26 January.

Nadine Shah 

The buzz around past Mercury Music Prize nominee Nadine Shah’s fifth album Filthy Underneath has been simmering for some time, thanks in part to the infectious singles ‘Twenty Things’ and ‘Topless Mother’. 

The singer-songwriter from South Shields will hit the Assembly Rooms with her expansive back catalogue and new hook-laden sound. 

Assembly Rooms, Sunday 28 January.

Anna Meredith  

Blending elements of pop, classical and electronic, Anna Meredith has crafted an appealing niche in the musical landscape since her Scottish Album Of The Year-nominated debut album Varmints hit the scene in 2016. She’ll pay a visit to the Assembly Rooms with her first live performance in Edinburgh since 2021. 

Assembly Rooms, Saturday 27 January. 

Burns&Beyond will take place from Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 January. Tickets for all shows are on sale now.