celtic connections

Joined by Finlay MacDonald, Iain MacFarlane, Ali Hutton, and Leonard Barry, piping legend Allan MacDonald gave a memorable performance at Celtic Connections, one imbued with a sense of joy and amusement, built on the very secure foundation of his longstanding prowess.

The Transatlantic Sessions, one of Celtic Connections’ most enduring and beloved institutions, celebrated its 20th edition ft. Amythyst Kiah, Liam O’Maonlai, Martha Wainwright, Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves, Karen Matheson and more.

Featuring songs from her debut album, Kim Carnie opened the sold-out evening at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, followed by Duncan Chisholm’s premiere of his new album Black Cuillin. Supported by a cast of top-notch musicians, it was a hugely entertaining evening.

The celebrations for John McCusker’s 30th Anniversary as a professional musician culminated in an unforgettable gathering of musical friends at Celtic Connections including Michael McGoldrick, Ian Carr, Eddi Reader, Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Roddy Woomble and more.

Celtic Connections experienced an electrifying performance from Abi Sampa & Rushil – Orchestral Qawwali left the crowd cheering wildly, giving one of the longest-standing ovations I’ve ever witnessed.

As far as Celtic Connections international musical collaborations go, the evening concert with Mali’s Trio Da Kali and special guests was fabulously varied and richly rewarding, fully utilising the alchemic opportunities that come from bringing different music traditions and cultures together.

Dave McNally shares some highlights from the 30th Anniversary Concert that kicked off Celtic Connections 2023, featuring an astonishing breadth of talent – it was a jubilant and moving three hour celebration.

Celtic Connections, Europe’s premier folk and roots music festival, launches in Glasgow tomorrow – 1200 musicians will take to the stage for 300 events at more than 25 venues across the city, with shows spanning traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul and world music.

Celtic Connections is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary this January 2023. Their first lineup announcement promises an ambitious and eclectic programme of music.

There was a definite buzz around RURA’s Celtic Connections appearance and their collaborative EP launch gig featuring an extended band and guests: Duncan Chisholm, Julie Fowlis, Hannah Rarity, Ross Ainslie and Michael McGoldrick. It couldn’t have been better.

The Transatlantic Sessions are, in many ways, the centrepiece of Celtic Connections. The performances were exuberant and full of energy, featuring a star-studded house band and guests Leyla McCalla, Siobhan Miller, Sarah Jarosz, and Paul Brady. An unforgettable night.

Celtic Connections have announced that they will now also run a digital programme showcasing performances from some of the most exciting acts spanning traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul and world music.

Celtic Connections have confirmed that a number of shows and elements within the 2022 programme can no longer go ahead due to the uncertainty and disruption caused by the Omicron variant.

Celtic Connections are continuing to work extremely hard to bring audiences a Celtic Connections experience in 2022 in the safest possible way.

Celtic Connections has announced a swathe of new acts to be added to the dynamic bill for its 2022 edition including the Orchestral Qawwali Project featuring British-Indian singer Abi Sampa, composer Rushil and tabla maestro Amrit Singh.

The first names are revealed for Celtic Connections 2022 which returns to Glasgow, breathing life and soul into much-loved venues across the city, the 18-day programme of events spanning traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul and world music with more than 1,000 musicians com together once again in celebration.

With audiences from over 60 countries and over 27,000 tickets and passes sold, the first-ever digital Celtic Connections has been a huge success. Over 10.5 million minutes of musical entertainment have been enjoyed by viewers over the last 19 days.

The Celtic Connections online festival will begin one week today. Across 19 days, the festival will present over 30 online performances between Friday 15th January and Tuesday 2nd February 2021.