When is Burns Night 2026? Everything you need to know about Robert Burns - including why he's celebrated
While he is now remembered around the world on Burns Night, Robert Burns spent most of his life as a farmer despite writing 700 poems while he was alive.
Each year on his birthday, people around the world gather to celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns.
While Burns was only 37 when he died, his legacy as Scotland’s national poet continues to grow and evolve to this day.
From inspiring John Steinbeck’s classic novel Of Mice and Men and Michael Jackson’s Thriller, to a collection of his poetry travelling more than 5.7 million miles while in orbit around Earth, it is far beyond anything Burns could have dreamed of.
With Burns’ birthday almost here in 2026, here is everything you need to know about Rabbie Burns - including when Burns Night is.
When is Burns Night 2026?
This year, Burns Night falls on Sunday, January 25. The event marks the Scottish poet’s birthday.
When was the first Burns Supper held?
The first ever Burns Supper first took place in July 1801, when friends of the poet gathered to mark the fifth anniversary of his death.
It was so successful that his friends decided they would continue to hold the next event on Burns’ birthday, which eventually led to it becoming a Scottish tradition.
They shared a meal which included haggis and sheep’s head, honouring their fallen friend by reciting his incredibly famous poem Address to a Haggis, which has taken on a life of its own as the tradition grew.
Why do we celebrate Burns Night?
As for why we now continue to celebrate Robert Burns so many years after his death, this in part comes down to recognising the poet’s many great works.
From Red, Red Rose and A Man's a Man for A' That, to Tam o’ Shanter and To a Mouse, the Scottish poet’s ability to touch those with his words has transcended borders and languages.
For example, in Japan some pedestrian crossings indicate when it’s safe to walk with a rendition of Coming Through The Rye.
That’s without mentioning Auld Lyne Syne, which is now deeply embedded within Hogmanay - or New Year’s Eve - traditions in English-speaking countries around the world.
How is Burns Night celebrated?
The most common way to celebrate Burns Night in Scotland is with a Burns Supper, which will include a main meal of haggis, neeps and tatties. This is often preceded by a cock-a-leekie soup and served with a glass of whisky.
For entertainment, expect poetry readings, lots of tartan and the all important recitation of Address to a Haggis. You can also expect to hear the Selkirk Grace.
More modern Burns Night celebrations also include ceilidhs, concerts and plays, based on the life and times of Burns.
READ MORE: Here are 22 events in Scotland celebrating Burns Night in 2026, from ceilidhs to concerts
Who is Robert Burns, where is he from and when was he born?
Robert Burns was born in Alloway, South Ayrshire on January 25, 1759. He was the eldest of seven children and his father was a tenant farmer, an occupation which Burns shared for most of his life.
Despite his talent for poetry, Burns had very little in the way of formal education. His led an intense life on the farm and only changed his profession towards the end of his short life.
He was deeply impacted by debt and poverty, and his empathy for the poor and their often unfair lives saw his work resonate with his fellow Scots. Burns’ observations on the divide between classes, religion, alcohol and what it means to be from Scotland can be found in many of the 700 poems he is said to have wrote before his death.
However, Burns was also a pioneer of the romantic poetry movement and themes of love and lust are prominent in his writing.
The Scot had a reputation for being a” ladies man” and although he was married to Jean Armour, with whom he had nine children, he was known for having extramarital affairs.
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How old was Robert Burns when he died?
Robert Burns was was 37 when he died in Dumfries on July 21, 1796. His funeral tragically took place on the same day Jean Armour gave birth to their son, Maxwell.
How did Burns die?
The cause of Burns’ death is contested, though it is now widely believed to be the result of a rheumatic heart condition.
Years following his death, Burns’ skull was taken from his (second) final resting place as a group of men were intent on analysing it using phrenology - a now debunked pseudoscience which was thought to determine a person’s character from the shapes of their skull.
Judith Hewitt, a museums curator with Dumfries and Galloway Council, argues that many beliefs about Burns’ death which persist to this day stem from the first Burns biography.
READ MORE: The night that Robert Burns' skull - with hair still attached - was taken from his Scottish crypt
She said: “A lot of people blamed him for his own death through the drinking. But really Burns rode everywhere, he was working three jobs and he had extra marital relations with different women. It wasn’t all that uncommon then - and it is not that uncommon now.
“It is all part of the myth of Robert Burns and it is simplistic.”
Ms Hewitt added: “He lived large and he loved large and made an impact wherever he went.”
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