Why go
The festival’s interest lies in the connections between traditions, not just a single style of piping or folk song. Concerts, talks and learning events have historically brought musicians and audiences together across venues. If a visit coincides with a future edition, choose the artist or session that matters to you and allow time for the wider city around the venue.
The full story
Celtic Connections began in the 1990s as a way to fill a quieter period in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s calendar. Its first edition was concentrated in one venue, but the idea soon grew beyond a conventional concert series. Scottish traditional music remained central while performers from other folk and roots traditions joined the programme. Workshops, conversations and education activity gave listeners a way to hear how music is learned and shared, not only performed on stage. That breadth is the reason the festival belongs in Glasgow’s music story. It connects a formal concert-hall setting with more informal collaboration and new performers. Past schedules and scale should not be taken as a promise of what a later edition will contain. If planning around it, read the current programme closely: a seated concert, a learning session and a late gathering offer quite different experiences.