Having grown from relatively modest beginnings in 1994, Celtic Connections is the world’s premier folk and roots music festival, this year welcoming around 1,200 musicians and artists from 20 countries for 300 events in 25 venues across Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, with an uplifting display from some of folk’s brightest emerging and established talent, Scottish and international, with a host of artists new to the festival, including strong international and Americana contingents.
Highlights are too numerous to name, but worthy of special mention are The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices, featuring the famous female choir with a fresh take, blending Bulgarian folk and classical music, a live orchestral performance and immersive cinematic experience When Fish Begin to Crawl, celebrating the Flow Country’s recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Scottish soundscaping masterpiece by mandolin player and singer Laura-Beth Salter and piper, guitarist and whistle player Ali Hutton, composer and arranger John Metcalfe with stunning visuals from artist Jony Easterby,
singer-songwriter Hayden Thorpe performing NESS – his acclaimed third album, with daring cross-genre multi-instrumentalists Propellor Ensemble.
Singers include award-winning multi-instrumentalist and composer Hannah Read, described by Mojo magazine as ‘“’one of the finest singers of the day’ (MOJO Magazine), as part of The Fungi Sessions Vol. 1 – a newly commissioned suite of fungi-inspired music played alongside captivating projected visuals. A showcase of Scottish Musicians of Colour at the City Halls’ Recital Room will feature artists including Iranian musician Aref Ghorbani, cellist and poet Simone Seales and musician and artist Miwa Nagato-Apthorp, renowned musician, string arranger and composer David Grubb (pictured above) blending a multitude of musical genres, the East African Zawose Queens showcasing their fluid polyrhythms and rapturous polyphonic singing of the Gogo (aka Wagogo) people of the Dodoma region of central Tanzania.
A special show celebrates four decades of the much-loved Isle of Lewis cultural hub An Lanntair with a host of Hebridean talent, a new In the Tradition show, breathing new life into traditional music, paints a vivid musical tapestry, showcasing the best of Scotland’s traditional music talent, with musical director Anna Massie and house band. A special tribute performance for the late David Crosby is lined-up (BC Camplight, Liam Ó Maonlaí from Hothouse Flowers, Kris Drever from Lau, and The Staves), and among other big names are country star Lyle Lovett, American singer Madison Cunningham, Afro-Beat with Femi Kute, and Scottish Dance Theatre with Glasgow band TRIP and award-winning Scottish piper Brìghde Chaimbeul.
Donald Shaw, long-standing Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, says, ‘Celtic Connections provides artists with an important platform for creative expression and we are always eager to present shows that explore contemporary themes that move and delight audiences, and make them think. The diverse 2025 programme continues to expand, welcoming more musicians all the time to the bill to debut unique pieces of work and share their music with our appreciative Glasgow audiences. It’s shaping up to be an outstanding festival and I would encourage music fans of any genre to come and explore the huge wealth of experiences on offer.’
The full programme can be viewed on the festival’s website.
