THE popular Mauchline Holy Fair event is set to be extended next year, with a packed programme of events set to be announced.

Billed as Mauchline's busiest day of the year, thousands of people flock to the town every year to soak up the atmosphere and all that is happening.

Usually focused on the Saturday, the 2025 event is set to have a week of events building up to the main day on May 31.

Last year's event kicked off with a grand parade.Last year's event kicked off with a grand parade. (Image: Charlie Gilmour) The current Mauchline Holy Fair group have been in charge of organising the event since taking over from the Mauchline Burns Club in 2014.

A year's worth of planning and preparation goes into making the event the success it is.

Robert Burns wrote about the Holy Fair of 1786 in his poem of the same name, and while more than 200 years may have passed since then, the event remains as popular as ever.

PICTURES: Big crowds gather for another wonderful Mauchline Holy Fair

Singers, businesses, pipers, parades and all sorts of entertainment draw in crowds from across Ayrshire and beyond.

Event manager, Jack Lynch says he's looking forward to be bringing an extended fair next year.

"We're extending next year's event from one day to a whole week," Jack said.

"We'll have a number of activities and entertainment on across Mauchline in the week leading up to the Saturday.

"It'll start on the Saturday before the main fair, so there will be a murder mystery on at the Fairburn Hotel on Saturday 24.

"It'll give a lot of the businesses and places around Mauchline an extra chance to be part of it all."

The event always draws in huge crowds.The event always draws in huge crowds. (Image: Charlie Gilmour) Included in the events will be the re-enactment of a football match that took place in 1878 and, showing the deep history of football in the town.

Jack added: "The main theme of Holy Fair is aimed at being about the life and works of Robert Burns while he lived in Mauchline, because it was a very important time in his life.

"It's always a great day at the fair, so being able to extend it to a whole week of events will be brilliant for the town".

The full programme of events for the full week is set to be announced on the Mauchline Holy Fair Facebook page in the coming weeks.