Celtic Connections has grown from relatively modest beginnings in 1994 into the world’s premier folk and roots music festival, every year transforming Glasgow in January into a must-visit destination for fans and attracting performers to the city from all corners of the world.
Donald Shaw, long-standing Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, says, ‘Celtic Connections is big, bold and inspiring – it’s a festival that isn’t afraid to take risks, champions artistic expression and believes in collaboration, and having fun. There’s a special kind of magic that fills Glasgow every January during Celtic Connections.
This year’s festival promises 1,200 artists, blending global icons with homegrown heroes and breakthrough names. Headliners in 2026 include country music royalty Emmylou Harris, legendary Cuban collective Buena Vista All Stars, Americana powerhouse Lucinda Williams, Scottish folk-rock pioneers Skerryvore, Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, Senegalese orchestral sensation Baobab, acclaimed indie duo Watchhouse and Mon Rovîa, who tells his incredible refugee story through the healing sound of Afro-Appalachian folk. Québec’s vibrant music scene contributes acts like Le Vent du Nord and Bon Débarras, highlighting the festival’s commitment to international cultural exchange.
A stunning Opening Concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is promised, and – one of the festival’s chief assets – myriad one-off collaborations are featured throughout the programme. Many festival favourites are set to return, including Roaming Roots Revue (Icons Vol. 2), Transatlantic Sessions, and the Danny Kyle Open Stage, showcasing emerging talent. The popular Under 26 Festival Pass is back, providing discounted entry for those aged 18 – 25 to a curated selection of events, and the festival’s acclaimed Education Programme is returning, with thousands of local schoolchildren invited to special concerts and workshops, planting the seeds for a lifelong love of music.
Famed for its adventurous spirit, Celtic Connections audiences will enjoy traditional folk, roots, indie, and world music, alongside blues, jazz, orchestral, Americana, and even electronic influences, from Gaelic song and Scottish ballads, to orchestral world premieres, with roots collaborations linking Scotland with Brazil, Mexico, the Arabic world and beyond.
The full programme can be viewed on the festival’s website.
