Celtic Connections hits its silver anniversary with a host of stars

Britain’s biggest winter music festival of its kind is being held in Glasgow – and it’s just under a fortnight away.

Celtic Connections celebrates its 25th anniversary with an exciting and ambitious line-up of musicians from all corners of the world, showcasing the best talent in folk, world and jazz music.

Descending on Glasgow between 18 January and 4 February, Celtic Connections offers 18 days of entertainment to brighten up the dark, wet January nights with a mixture of concerts that will include a host of one-off musical collaborations alongside talks, workshops, film screenings, ceilidhs, art exhibitions, free events and late night sessions.

Celtic Connections is marking 25 glorious years

The event has grown in size since unprecedented thousands flocked to the very first Celtic Connections back in 1994, to become a magnet for musicians the world over.

The opening gala in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall will celebrate that history with a panoply of artists who’ve featured prominently over the years, reflecting such Celtic Connections hallmarks as its multi-generational breadth, its internationalism and its collaborative, cross-genre spirit. With pianist David Milligan – one of 1994’s original performers – as musical director, expect plenty of mixing and matching among the cast, creating a wealth of fresh connections as well as aptly session-style festivity.

Also in the line up are Cherish the Ladies, Sharon Shannon, String Sisters, Eddi Reader, Drever McCusker Woomble, Tryst, Michael McGoldrick Trio, Maya Youssef, Ian McCalman, Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton, Louis Abbott, Sharat Chandra Srivastava, Gyan Singh, Siobhan Miller, Saltfishforty and yet more surprise guests.

The opening gala in taking place in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

This year’s highlights include a special tribute to the late musical legend, Martyn Bennett featuring GRIT Orchestra and bike stunt hero, Danny MacAskill recreating some of his famous stunts from The Ridge seen by some 55M people on YouTube, this special night will be opened by Isle of Skye band Niteworks fusing electronica with bagpipes.

Other highlights include one of the world’s greatest female singers, Mali’s Oumou Sangaré, Scottish folk legend King Creosote, Hannah Peel blending her signature electronica with Tubular Brass’s magic, Roaming Roots Revue – a special tribute to the late Tom Petty and a country die-hard Dale Watson.

For more details, click HERE.