World-renowned Glasgow festival Celtic Connections will once again light up stages, venues and dark winter nights from Thursday 18 January to Sunday 4 February 2024, for what will be one of its biggest-ever capacity festivals.
Treacherous Orchestra by Gaëlle Beri
Proudly known as Europe’s premier folk, roots and world music festival, and the home of spectacular musical showcases and one-off collaborations, Celtic Connections has continued to expand into a multitude of genres over its 30-year history. This year will see the festival stage another ambitious programme of incredible performances spanning acoustic, traditional, indie, Americana, Jazz, blues, orchestral, experimental and more.
Glasgow’s status as a UNESCO City of Music will be well and truly on display as more than 300 events bring 25 venues across the city to life, welcoming a host of unmissable music across its 18 days.
Much-loved venues, such as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Barrowland Ballroom, as well as The Pavilion Theatre and Barony Hall, will be providing audiences with a warm Glaswegian welcome, and organisers are encouraging anyone who has never attended what is the biggest winter festival of its kind, to come and experience its magic for themselves.
Celtic Connections boasts a diverse line-up that caters to a wide range of musical tastes. From the high-energy rhythms of bands fusing contemporary sounds with traditional music, to intimate and soulful settings of acoustic performances, this festival offers something to satisfy every musical palette.
Like the anticipated 110,000 attendees, musicians will descend on Glasgow from near and far. From just along the road to all corners of the globe, including North America, West Africa, India, Australia, Ukraine, Norway, Sweden, France and Ireland, international artists of the highest calibre are once again lining up to play a sought-after Celtic Connections slot.
General tickets for the festival go on sale at 10am, Wednesday 11th October at www.celticconnections.com.
Festival-goers can also look forward to the usual mix of screenings, workshops, dementia-friendly concerts, late night sessions and pop-up performances at the Festival Club, as well as a thriving education programme that will benefit thousands of children across Glasgow.
Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “It’s that time of year where we lift the lid on the incredible shows and events we have in the works for Celtic Connections. Celebration and collaboration are at the heart of the festival and once again we will bring the world’s music to Glasgow audiences this winter. I’m very excited that our 2024 edition will welcome a huge portion of international talent back to our stages, particularly our transatlantic cousins in America, and that we will be back to staging one of our biggest ever capacity festivals. We would encourage audiences old and new with a love of music to discover all that this diverse programme has to offer and spend the dark winter nights with us.”
Glasgow Life Chair, Bailie Annette Christie, said: “Celtic Connections is renowned internationally as an outstanding festival which brings together exceptional musicians from all over the world to celebrate a broad variety of music genres. This hugely successful event is much loved by local, national and international audiences, attracting thousands of visitors to Glasgow every year to experience and enjoy vibrant live performances in the city’s wonderful venues. Over three decades, the festival has made an incredibly important contribution to Glasgow, and enhanced its global reputation as a UNESCO City of Music and a superb destination for cultural events.
“This year’s exciting and extensive programme features a superb, diverse line-up of established and emerging talent. It promises unmissable performances, from intimate gigs to large-scale shows and something to suit all musical tastes, so we look forward to the curtain rising on Celtic Connections 2024, and to welcoming performers and audiences for what will be a truly special start to the new year.”
Creative Scotland Head of Music, Alan Morrison said: “The 2024 Celtic Connections programme puts Scotland at the heart of a musical map of the world. This is arguably the festival’s strongest- ever international line-up, opening our ears to the inspirational sounds of artists from so many different countries and cultures. Running through it all, of course, is Scotland’s own musical lifeblood, the traditional tunes and contemporary twists that continue to thrill audiences and brighten up our winter days and nights.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “I’m greatly looking forward to this year’s Celtic Connections and the warmth it always brings to the colder months with leading Scottish and international musicians across a variety of genres set to descend on Glasgow for what looks to be another fantastic showcase of talent.
“In addition to engaging audiences, Celtic Connections gives artists from near and far an important platform to stage their music and perform, providing significant value to the industry and our economy. The Scottish Government is therefore proud to support Celtic Connections with £101,000 this year through our EXPO fund, which seeks to raise the international profile of Scottish artists and help maximise opportunities for them at home and abroad.”
Celtic Connections began in 1994 when it offered 66 events at one venue. It has since grown more adventurous, experimental and diverse each year, with an unwavering ambition to showcase the very best traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul, indie and world music and nurture unique local, national and international cultural partnerships.
Celtic Connections 2024 will take place from Thursday 18th January to Sunday 4th February. General tickets go on sale 10am, Wednesday 11th October 2023, with advance tickets on sale now for Celtic Rovers festival supporters.
The programme can be viewed in full and tickets purchased at www.celticconnections.com.
Background
Celtic Connections began in 1994, when it offered 66 events at one venue. Since then it’s grown more adventurous, experimental and diverse each year and now offers thousands of events in locations across Glasgow.
Celtic Connections is delivered with funding from Glasgow City Council through Glasgow Life. Creative Scotland and The Scottish Government Festivals Expo Fund continue to provide invaluable support to Celtic Connections.
Glasgow Life is a charity working for the benefit of the people of Glasgow. We believe everyone deserves a great Glasgow life and we find innovative ways to make this happen across the city’s diverse communities. Our programmes, experiences and events range from grassroots community activities to large-scale cultural, artistic and sporting events which present Glasgow on an international stage. Our work is designed to promote inclusion, happiness and health, as well as support the city’s visitor economy, in order to enhance Glasgow’s mental, physical and economic wellbeing.
For more information, see www.glasgowlife.org.uk
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen, and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Media contact
For further information, images, or to request an interview, please contact: Corrie Campbell, Innes and Campbell Communications, [email protected], 07900 981 073