“This has been an epic Burns Night.”

That was the verdict of Scottish rocker KT Tunstall who headlined the opening night of the Big Burns Supper, the riotous 11 day festival in Dumfries celebrating the Scottish Bard.

She performed in the festival’s Spiegeltent on Friday along with the Peatbog Faeries and Le Haggis - the event’s theatrical cabaret show.

As it was Burns Night, the audience - including local MP and Scottish Secretary David Mundell - joined hands to belt out Auld Lang Syne and the Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond, but there the tradition stopped.

It appears at Big Burns Supper anything goes - whether it’s KT Tunstall playing Seven Nation Army on the kazoo or a cabaret act shocking the audience with a raunchy magic routine. Quite how far she took her act we’ll leave to your imagination because sometimes it is perhaps better that what happens in the Spiegeltent stays in the Spiegeltent.

This year there is a strong Cumbrian element at the festival with bands such as Hardwicke Circus, mylittlebrother and The Postcard Band on the bill in the Festival Hub over the weekend.

Will Harris, of mylittlebrother, was thrilled at the chance to be part of it. “It is the first time we’ve been to the festival and it has been brilliant,” he said.

“We just love playing in new towns and new events and this was a great chance to play our new material plus I’m a big fan of haggis, so I was eating as much of that as I could lay my hands on.”

There was a strong Carlisle contingent in the audience too who united in hoping the organisers, Elektronika, would bring similar excitement to the city’s Fringe festival which they will be staging again in August.

Pam Eland, of Pride in North Cumbria, had brought a minibus full of teenagers from the organisation’s youth group.

“It’s been a brilliant night. They’ve all enjoyed it and it’s given us lots of inspiration for things we’re planning to do alongside the Carlisle Fringe this year.”

Catherine Coulthard, chief executive of Prism Arts, said: “I’m really impressed with the audience they’ve got here - a real range of ages. We like working with Graham Main and Elektronika and can’t wait to see what plans there are for Carlisle this year.”

Matthew Bond, of Carlisle’s Cito Services, said: “It’s been an amazing night. This is what we want in Carlisle. Bring the Spiegeltent to Carlisle!”

* The Big Burns Supper continues until February 3rd with dozens more acts including theatre, family shows plus Craig Charles, Frank Turner and the Bootleg Beatles. www.bigburnssupper.com or call 01381 271 820.