Toasting the Bard: Where to eat, drink and celebrate Burns Night 2026

January may feel long and grey, but one undoubted bright spot is Burns Night, the annual celebration held on January 25, marking the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.

For whisky lovers, it’s one of the most convivial fixtures of the year: a night where poetry, food and Scotland’s greatest export meet in cheerful, occasionally chaotic harmony.

The appeal is timeless. There’s the Address to a Haggis, the inevitable neeps and tatties, perhaps some highland dancing and bagpipes, and – most importantly – whisky, poured generously and discussed with enthusiasm. 

In 2026, the celebrations look set to be predictably spirited, with hotels, pubs and restaurants across the UK offering events that range from grand Highland ceremony to informal, pub-hopping revelry. Which event will you be going to?

Burns Night at Mar Hall, Glasgow – January 23 2026

Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort provides a fittingly elegant backdrop for a refined take on Burns Night. Set on the banks of the River Clyde, just ten minutes from Glasgow Airport, the mid-19th-century estate is inviting guests to ‘Toast to the Bard’ with a curated evening beginning at 6.30pm. The programme includes a welcome drink, a whisky tasting, live music and poetry, and the traditional toast to the haggis, complete with a bagpiper.  Afour-course dinner follows.

Tickets are £95 per person. Reserve your Mar Hall tickets here.

Burns Night with Young’s Pubs – January 22–25

Young’s Pubs is marking Burns Night on 25 January with a series of events across London and beyond, combining whisky, food and a healthy dose of theatricality. A nice touch for whisky fans: free drams of Glenfiddich 12 Year Old are available via the Young’s On Tap app; more details here.

Bagpipe Pub Tour, Notting Hill – January 25
Starting at The Elgin on Ladbroke Grove, this guided pub crawl takes in the Cock & Bottle and the Duke of Wellington, led by a bagpiper. Each stop includes a whisky dram to toast Burns. It begins at 4pm and costs from £20 per person.

Six-Course Supper at Smiths of Smithfield, Farringdon – January 24
On the No.3 Rooftop, Smiths of Smithfield is hosting a six-course Burns Night feast, complete with bagpipes, poetry readings and a Glenlivet 15 cocktail. Scottish ingredients feature heavily, from Loch Fyne oysters and Highland venison tartare to Ramsay’s haggis and neeps. Dessert choices include a Mars bar beignet or Irn-Bru tablet with malt crumble. Tickets are £55 per person, starting at 6.45pm.

Scottish Cheese & Whisky Pairing at the Richard I, Greenwich – January 23
This more intimate evening pairs Scottish cheeses from The Cheeseboard with warming drams, accompanied by live bagpipes. Tickets are £35 per person, starting at 7pm.

Burns Night Weekender at the White Hart, Barnes – January 23-25
The White Hart stretches Burns Night into a full weekend. Friday brings whisky cocktails, Saturday features a traditional four-course supper with haggis and deep-fried Mars bars (£45pp), and Sunday finishes with a roast offering haggis and venison. It’s relaxed, generous and cheerfully overindulgent.

Beyond London, The Weyside, Guildford (January 22) is offering a three-course riverside supper with live bagpipes and an optional whisky flight (£55pp, whisky flight £15), while The Mitre Inn, Shaftesbury, Dorset (January 23), has a four-course supper with drink pairings, including haggis scotch egg, Cullen skink and venison with haggis fritter (£49pp).

Burns Night Dinner with Bruichladdich – Covent Garden, January 23

For Islay devotees, Bruichladdich’s Burns Night dinner at the Covent Garden Hotel offers a contemporary take on the traditional supper. Held in Brasserie Max’s private dining room, the evening begins with a Penicillin cocktail made using The Classic Laddie.

A four-course menu by Head Chef Martin Sweeney is paired with some serious whiskies: traditional haggis with Bruichladdich 18, Highland venison with Port Charlotte 18, and dessert alongside Octomore 15.2. Live spoken word from award-winning Scottish poet Kevin McLean provides a modern poetic counterpoint. 

Tickets are £100 per person. Make your Burns Night bookings here.

Galvin Group Burns Night celebrations – January 25–26 

The Galvin restaurants are hosting Burns Night events across several venues, each combining Scottish tradition with the group’s polished, produce-led cooking.

Galvin La Chapelle – January 25
An elevated menu includes gin-cured salmon with Oscietra caviar, Scottish langoustine, rump of lamb with haggis and whisky caramel, and a Tipsy Laird dessert. Tickets are £105, with bookings here.

Galvin Bistrot & Bar – January 25
A more relaxed Scottish tasting menu at this eatery, based in Spital Square, London, features Cullen skink, haggis with neeps and tatties, Isle of Mull cheddar and raspberry cranachan. Tickets are £75, with optional wine or whisky pairings at £40. For bookings click here.

Galvin Green Man, Chelmsford – January 26
A countryside Burns Night supper with whisky-cured salmon, Cullen skink, haggis with neeps and tatties, and cranachan with butterscotch sauce. Tickets are available here, priced £55.

Across all Galvin venues, a live bagpiper and Burns poet will guide the ceremonial moments, including the Address to a Haggis.

Whether you favour a grand hotel, a spirited pub crawl or a meticulously paired whisky dinner, Burns Night 2026 offers plenty of ways to celebrate Scotland’s national poet.