POISED to dispel the January blues in a joyful celebration of musical talent is Celtic Connections, Europe’s premier winter festival.
This A-Z guide unveils the rich musical tapestry awaiting attendees at this year’s festival in Glasgow from January 18 to February 4.
From bagpipes to genre-bending collaborations, emerging talent to established legends and intimate venues to grand concert halls, each letter of the alphabet shows a different side to this iconic event.
Americana
Celtic Connections has long-sought to showcase this rich genre of music and this year’s festival is no exception.
Celebrated American singer-songwriters Margo Price and Kelsey Waldon, California-based Dustbowl Revival, Virginia-born Grammy-nominee Bruce Hornsby, Americana star Drew Holcomb, innovative banjo player Alison Brown, bluegrass sensation Béla Fleck and Grammy-winning guitarist and singer Molly Tuttle are all set to play.
Bagpipes
In a celebration of contemporary piping in Scotland, renowned piper Finlay MacDonald will be joined by distinguished Asturian player José Manuel Tejedor in a performance which will only further amplify the bagpipes’ universal standing.
There will also be stand out shows from the likes of international folk-rock sensations Skerryvore, leading purveyor of experimental Celtic music Brìghde Chaimbeul (below) and award-winning dynamic duo Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton.
The reigning RSPBA World Pipe Band Champions Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia will also delight piping fans, alongside the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
Creativity
This festival is a canvas without limits, welcoming and embracing an eclectic and vast mix of genres, all with creativity at its heart.
Dance
Ando Glaso is set to take the ceilidh format known and loved in Scotland and introduce Transylvanian dancing and music at the 2024 festival. Also on the dancing roster is A Ceilidh for Gordon, a night to celebrate the life and legacy of Tiree accordion tutor Gordon Connell, and The RSCDS Ceilidh, which promotes Scottish country dance and all related dance forms as inclusive, exciting activities that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere.
Exclusive performance
Celtic Connections 2024 will see a very special one-off concert from seminal Irish group, The Bothy Band, arguably the most influential and revered of the many ensembles who revolutionised the playing of traditional music in recent generations.
Fusion
Valtos's unique fusion of traditional and electronic influences won them Upcoming Act of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in 2022. Next year will see them bring their biggest show to date to the Celtic Connections stage, performing at SWG3’s 1300-capacity Galvanizers, where they will be joined by around 30 of their musical friends and well-known faces from the Scottish trad scene.
Gaelic
The heart of Gaelic culture beats throughout Celtic Connections, with celebrated singers such as Robert Roberston and Katie Macfarlane. Gaelic singer Anne Martin, along with some special guests, will present An Tinne, a performance exploring the story of a hook and chain which travelled from Skye to Australia during the Highland Clearances, while Gaelic luminaries Julie Fowlis and Joy Dunlop will stage sets of their own. Lochaber multi-instrumentalist and composer Ewen Henderson will bring his innovative show Lèirsinn (perception) to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Celebrated Scottish bands including Breabach and Dàimh are also on the bill.
History
The Merchant City Trad Trail, curated exclusively for the festival, is a guided walking tour that embarks on a journey to unravel Glasgow’s folk and roots music scenes.
Elsewhere, centenary years of important moments in history feature on the programme, including the Red Clydeside: John MacLean Centenary Concert, marking 100 years since the death of one of Scotland’s greatest revolutionaries and featuring celebrated musicians Billy Bragg, Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Paul McKenna, Siobhan Miller, and writer Henry Bell.
Metagama & Marloch: An Atlantic Odyssey, a concert devised by musician Liza Mulholland and writer Donald S Murray, will commemorate the Hebridean emigration to Canada in 1923/24 aboard the Metagama. It features a stellar ensemble including actor and writer Dolina MacLennan, Gaelic singer and piper Calum Alex Macmillan, fiddle player Charlie McKerron, singer-songwriter Willie Campbell, cellist Christine Hanson, and visual artist Douglas Robertson.
Ireland to India
This year will see the incredible Citadels Of The Sun bring their talents to the Celtic Connections stage. The multicultural project first emerged from the intricate historical and folk ties between India and Ireland, exploring the shared origins of the fiddle and their colonial past. The project intertwines the stories of Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan and Grianán of Aileach in Donegal, uniting distant landmarks with a shared cultural resonance.
Jazz, blues and soul
The 2024 festival will feature standout performances by acclaimed artists such as Kaia Kater and Buffalo Nichols, whose Blues Night performance is set to showcase their critically acclaimed debut LP.
The award-winning Scottish jazz band Rose Room will have something special for jazz fans; Glasgow funk and soul giants Federation Of The Disco Pimp will be serving their usual mix of old-school funk, disco, psychedelic and jazz; while support comes from Stephen Henderson’s Modern Vikings, bringing together five of Scotland’s brightest, most creative jazz talents. Also on the programme is 16-year-old guitar virtuoso Muireann Bradley from County Donegal.
Kelvingrove celebration of Burns
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is set to welcome a host of spectacular shows this winter including The Celtic Connections Burns Supper which will celebrate Scotland’s Bard in grand style.
Late night music
The Festival Club’s after-hours gatherings boast curated line-ups kept secret until the night. Meanwhile Celtic Connections’ Late Night Sessions – hosted throughout the festival at Drygate Brewery – offer a relaxed environment to soak up the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
Multicultural
Celtic Connections stands as a testament to Glasgow’s status as the UK’s top cultural and creative city, honoured by the European Commission. The festival embodies a global tapestry of music, welcoming diverse traditions from across the world.
New talent
The Danny Kyle Open Stage event was set up in 1999 in memory of Scottish folk singer-songwriter Danny Kyle as a platform to hear tomorrow’s talent today.
Six stand-out acts are chosen to receive a Danny Award and perform at a showcase on the last Sunday of Celtic Connections and on the first Saturday at the following year’s festival, as well as a support slot. Attendees should be sure to look out for last year’s finalists, Binky Blue, CÀRNAN, Chloe Matharu, Falasgair, Tern and Greenshanks in the 2024 programme.
Also providing a platform to emerging talent is New Voices. This year’s New Voices performances will come from Ali Levack, Charlie Grey and Alice Allen.
Orchestral
One of this year’s highlights features the European premiere of Chris Thile’s groundbreaking symphonic work, ATTENTION! The music showcases his fusion of storytelling and orchestral passion in collaboration with Scotland’s revered BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. In another exciting collaboration, the Scottish Ensemble joins forces with American double bassist and composer Edgar Meyer for the European premiere of his Concertino for Strings and Double Bass .
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) returns to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, while The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Logan, revisits and reinvents modern classics as part of the festival’s annual Roaming Roots event.
Participation
The 18-day event offers an array of workshops that serve as a small gateway to the vast world of music.
From mastering the banjo and guitar or trying out the bagpipes, to delving into the soulful art of Gaelic singing or venturing on walking tours of the city, participants are invited to broaden their musical knowledge under the guidance of skilled instructors and guides.
Quality programming
Each year, Celtic Connections displays a dynamic curation of music that reflects the festival’s commitment to showcasing a myriad of genres and cultures and artists of the very highest quality. This year’s bill includes no less than five Grammy nominees.
Rock
Celtic Connections 2024 boasts a diverse lineup of high-energy rock acts, from Glasgow’s The Wakes to Edinburgh’s The Filthy Tongues.
Scottish National Whisky Festival
Created to celebrate the historic relationship between whisky and Celtic music culture, the festival offers an opportunity to savour the delights of the modern world of spirits while listening to some brilliant live music.
Thirty years
What started in 1994 as a humble event, showcasing 66 performances in just one venue, has grown into a world-renowned celebration. Now celebrating more than 30 years at the heart of Scotland’s cultural calendar, this year will be one of the biggest-ever capacity Celtic Connections to date.
Ukrainian quartet
Award-winning Kyiv world music quartet DakhaBrakha will bring their astonishing trans-national sound rooted in Ukrainian culture to Celtic Connections when they play the Pavilion Theatre.
Venues
From the character-filled Mackintosh Church to the spectacular Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and from the grand Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to the beautiful Barony Hall, Glasgow’s spaces become world-class stages, with each of the 25 venues being utilised for 2024 adding its own unique charm.
West African grooves
Berlin's Jembaa Groove are set to bring their vibrant debut album to the Celtic Connections stage, infusing the festival with the pulsating rhythms of West African highlife blended with the essence of classic US jazz and soul.
Also bringing West African culture to the city of Glasgow are Angélique Kidjo, Les Amazones d’Afrique and Fatoumata Diawara.
Xabier Díaz & Barzaz
Esteemed artists Xabier Díaz and Barzaz Trio bring their vibrant histories and innovative approaches to traditional music to Glasgow for this year’s festival. Xabier Díaz is a luminary of Galician folk while Barzaz Trio revolutionised Brittany’s music scene throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Youngsters
Celtic Connections firmly believes in encouraging the children of Scotland to enjoy their cultural heritage, which is why one of the key aspects of the festival is the hugely successful, award-winning Education Programme.
Zervas & Pepper
For all Joni Mitchell fans, Welsh singer-songwriters Zervas And Pepper are set to bring the celebrated songstress’s work to life with their show entitled This Flight Tonight. Known for their cult success on the UK and European folk/Americana scene, their performance at Celtic Connections promises a heartfelt tribute that honours Mitchell’s legacy while inspiring new generations of music enthusiasts.
Celtic Connections will run from January 18 to February 4. Follow the conversation at @ccfest
