Celtic Connections to begin with celebration of Glasgow music and cultural impact

An estimated 1,200 musicians and artists from 20 countries will be in Glasgow between Thursday 16 January and Sunday 2 February. Around 300 events will take place in 25 venues across the city. This year the festival has an important role in kicking of the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Glasgow.

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, told me: “We’ve taken a novel approach to this year’s opening concert and decided to keep the line up a closely guarded secret and surprise people on the night. The theme is Glasgow 850 – marking the beginning of the city’s year-long 850th birthday celebration – so audiences can expect a celebration of some of the great music, art and poetry Glasgow has produced and inspired over the years featuring a large and interesting cast.

“The show will reflect the city’s unstoppable cultural contribution, showcasing several genres and different creative communities. For example, we’ll be celebrating things like Glasgow’s incredible live session scene, which sees pubs in every corner of our city bursting with traditional music on any given night of the week.

“These sessions provide a space for artists who perform at the festival to hone their skills and introduces many people to the joy of traditional music – it’s little bits of creative magic like this that the city is famed for that we want to applaud. Glasgow has so much to be proud of creatively and at Celtic Connections we love to keep people on their toes and keep them guessing, so this makes for the perfect start to the 2025 festival.”

Celtic Connections has grown into a truly global showcase. The performers descending on Glasgow are coming from as far as Australia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Bulgaria and many more countries for another of the festival’s most extensive editions to date.

The bill features one-off commissions and collaborations, debut performances and premiers, internationally renowned artists, and the biggest shows some musicians have ever staged. There will also be ceilidhs, workshops, screenings, book launches, dementia-friendly performances, recitals, and talks.

Months of careful planning for the 32nd edition of Celtic Connections are almost complete as the festival gears up for attendances in the region of 110,000 across its 18 days. People from near and far will be drawn out on the dark winter nights for the shared experience of live music.

Glasgow 850 Opening Concert

Celtic Connections 2025 will open with its iconic Opening Concert, this year celebrating 850 years of its home, Glasgow. With a secret line up that’s under wraps, the show will epitomise the city’s motto – Let Glasgow Flourish – and give audiences moment after moment of unexpected delight.

From there, a myriad of performances and activities – up to 33 a day – will follow. With everything from acoustic and folk music and roots, Americana and indie to world, jazz and blues and experimental and orchestral music on offer, the festival’s genres and audience are vast.

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “With this festival, the clue is in the name – it’s all about connection and the sense of belonging and joy that comes with that. Dark, dreary January nights are replaced with rooms full of song and an unbeatable warmth that Glasgow’s people and music are famed for.

“As the festival continues to break new ground in our programming, scale and ambition, it’s incredible to see more new faces join us in the audience each year. There’s 18 days, 10 genres, 25 venues and 1,200 musicians – audiences really are spoiled for choice. We would encourage everyone to make sure they experience it for themselves and start their year being moved, cheered and amazed by the power of music.”

Celtic Connections first began in 1994 and has grown in size and ambition ever since, building an international reputation for world-renowned music, exciting new performances and one-off collaborations.

Celtic Connections 2025 in partnership with Innis & Gunn will take place from Thursday 16 January to Sunday 2 February. The programme can be viewed in full and tickets purchased at celticconnections.com.