Northern Lights, Dumfries – 15th – 19th January 2026: ‘Northern Lights’ forms part of Dumfries’s wider ‘Big Burns Supper’ festival: a series of light installations creating a free public trail across the town. The Big Burns Supper has been running in Dumfries for 15 years in various guises, though it is currently the trading name of the Electric Theatre Workshop, a community arts organisation.
There is no official start or finish to the trail, allowing you to wander at your leisure — with the exception of one installation which requires advance booking – so writes Sass MacDonald for theQR.co.uk…
Navigating the Light Trail
There are 12 sites to visit in total, alongside Rabbie’s Winter Village, an outdoor food and drink venue in the town centre, complete with a live DJ. Visitors should also keep an eye out for the ‘Northern Lights Windows’ scattered throughout the town.
A fantastic online guide accompanies the installations, offering not just descriptions, but the stories behind each piece. It also provides handy location links to make the trail easier to navigate. While the experience is designed for independent exploration, there is an option to pay for a VIP guided tour. Our guide took us to a selection of the installations, though we were also recommended others by a helpful volunteer marshalling the riverside.
A fantastic online guide accompanies the installations, offering not just descriptions, but the stories behind each piece.
Highlights: From Mausoleums to Fireflies
Here is the feedback on the installations we visited (and one recommended piece we missed due to time). We began at ‘Burns Light’, which illuminates the Burns Mausoleum in the grounds of St Michael’s Parish Church—the bard’s final resting place. The piece combines music with footage of visitors to the mausoleum since its erection, mixing old film reels with new footage of actors portraying historical figures. As with all the installations, reading the online information beforehand is vital to fully grasp what is being represented.
We moved on to ‘Firefly’ by way of ‘The Show Must Go On’. The latter is a neon sign mounted on the footbridge across the river, championing resilience and community spirit. From this suspension bridge, you catch glimpses of other works along the riverside. ‘Firefly’ is a sound and laser installation projected over the water; based on the Japanese firefly squid which emit bright flashing blue lights, it is best viewed from the ‘town’ side.
‘Phanto Spectra’ is the sole installation requiring advance booking. Described in the programme as ‘an immersive, geo-located binaural sound installation that draws you into the spirit of the fair’, it equips you with headphones and a battery pack reminiscent of Ghostbusters. This is likely deliberate, as the piece offers a trip down memory lane to when the Rood Fair was held on the riverbanks.
Alongside the commentary, there are light elements along the bank and a final projection of old photos depicting the fair and historic floods. This installation is located on the Whitesands; while accessed via ‘The Show Must Go On’ bridge, the headphones must be collected from a booth on the opposite bank.
Reflections in the Dark
Finally, we walked through ‘Divided’, housed in a cavernous, empty former nightclub. Constructed from recycled Christmas trees and mirrors, it features a large patch of grass in the centre. The intention is for the audience to walk on the grass—though I admit we didn’t realise this at the time. The conceit is to catch your reflection in the mirrors and consider whether the grass really is greener on the other side, specifically regarding immigrants often housed initially in hotels. It sounds swanky, but is it really? I loved this installation, but my caveat regarding ‘Northern Lights’ as a whole is that it loses much of its meaning if you don’t know the backstory.
A Festival of Community Spirit
We were fortunate to encounter Executive Producer Graham Main on the trail, learning even more than the website offers. I do worry that those who don’t take the time to read the background might not ‘get’ the full context. That said, there is plenty of fun to be had regardless of how thoroughly you research beforehand.
And Graham’s recommendation? ‘The Washing Line’, located in Gashouse Close. It focuses on the reminiscences of people who grew up in the town, evoking how life used to be. If, like me, you missed it physically, you can still listen to the recording via the Northern Lights section of the Big Burns Supper website.
I do worry that those who don’t take the time to read the background might not ‘get’ the full context. That said, there is plenty of fun to be had regardless of how thoroughly you research beforehand.
The overarching aim of The Big Burns Supper is to engage and encourage the community, and this festival is made as accessible as possible. It is free, appeals to all ages, and lights up the town in a month when things often feel dark and gloomy.
What more could you ask for on a chilly January evening?
Featured Image: The Mausoleum on the Northern Lights Trail – image Stuart Walker
By
By
