Celtic Connections 2020: What's on, venues and ticket info as the festival returns to Glasgow
Now in its 26th year, Celtic Connections is the UK’s premier celebration of celtic music and is described as a festival that ‘lights up winter’ in Scotland. This year, visitors can expect 300 events over 18 days, featuring more than 2000 musicians from 50 countries.
When is Celtic Connections 2020?
The festival runs from 16th January until the 2nd February with events held in various locations throughout Glasgow.
How much are tickets and where are they available?
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Hide AdTickets start from around £11 with most events coming in at £20-25 although there are some free events. More ticket info and online bookings are available on the Celtic Connections website.
What’s on?
A huge number of live music, ceilidhs and even a festival within the festival are taking place this month.
Highlights include the world premiere of a new orchestral symphony inspired by the Declaration of Arbroath. Composed of six brand new pieces by leading Scottish composers, the symphony will be performed by the Grit Orchestra.
If whisky is your thing then head along to SWG3 and toast our national bard on the 25th January at the National Whisky Festival.
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Hide AdFor a bit of everything, and the start of Scotland’s year-long celebration of Coasts and Waters, the ‘festival within a festival’ is a good place to begin.
On Saturday 18th January, Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall will play host to a whole day of concerts and events including live music from Skerryvore, Capercaillie, Daimh, Julie Fowlis, Gnoss, Ingrid Henderson and Fara.
Here is the entire run down of events, and our critics choice can be read here.
THURSDAY 16 JANUARY
Opening Night: The GRIT Orchestra - 'The Declaration'
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
FRIDAY 17 JANUARY
Breabach & Guests with Seamus Egan Project
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
Dìleab: Air a’ Chuan
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Archieology: Archie Fisher 80th with friends Barbara Dickson & Rab Noakes
Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Lost Map presents Pictish Trail and Rozi Plain
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
Fat-Suit: ‘Waifs & Strays’ & special guests
Drygate, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
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Hide AdNew Tradition: Gillian Fleetwood, Rebecca Hill and Sarah MacNeil
Tron Theatre, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 and support
Old Fruitmarket, 9:30pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
SATURDAY 18 JANUARY
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with Allt
City Halls, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
The GRIT Orchestra - Martyn Bennett's Grit & Bothy Culture
Barrowland Ballroom, 7.30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Cam Penner & Jon Wood with Midnight Skyracer
GRCH: New Auditorium 7.30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Stockton's Wing and Mná
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
Peggy Seeger & Calum MacColl
Mitchell Theatre, 7.30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
John Craigie and support
CCA, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Blazin' Fiddles & Special Guest Emily Smith and support
GRCH: Main Auditorium 8pm
From £22 plus transaction fee
Ceòlas – 25th Anniversary Concert
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald and support
Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Noah Gundersen and support
Tron Theatre, 8pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
Celtic Connections Ceilidh Dances
Maryhill Community Central Halls, 8pm
£15.40 plus transaction fee
SUNDAY 19 JANUARY
New Voices: Padruig Morrison
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1pm
From £13.75 plus transaction fee
Hazy Recollections
Drygate, 2pm
£14.30 plus transaction fee
Lucy Rose and Rory Butler
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
Hamish Napier: The Woods with Sarah-Jane Summers: Owerset
Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
Tyler Childers and support
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Robert Vincent and Amy Papiransky
Òran Mór, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
A Celebration of Women in Piping
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Dervish & Special Guests: The Great Irish Songbook
Main Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 7.30pm
£24.20 plus transaction fee
MONDAY 20 JANUARY
Dementia Friendly Concert: Calum Morrison & Catherine Tinney
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1:30pm
Free (ticketed)
Iris DeMent and Pieta Brown
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
TUESDAY 21 JANUARY
Brew & A Blether
Mackintosh at The Willow, 1pm
From £11 plus transaction fee
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters and support
Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
The Big Fling - Scottish Dance Band Extravaganza
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7.30pm
From £22 plus transaction fee
Tommy Emmanuel and Rodney Branigan
City Halls, 8pm
From £28.60 plus transaction fee
Cathal McConnell Trio and The Canny Band
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY
Jamie MacDougall: Lauder
Tron Theatre, 2pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
Yorkston/Thorne/Khan and Djana Gabrielle
Drygate, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Jimmie McGregor at 90 Years Young
Òran Mór, 7.30pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
Maggie MacInnes and Dàibhidh Stiùbhard
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Jamie MacDougall: Lauder
Tron Theatre, 8pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
THURSDAY 23 JANUARY
Brew & A Blether
Mackintosh at The Willow, 1pm
From £11 plus transaction fee
BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Awards Concert: 20th Anniversary
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
James Grant & The Hallelujah String Quartet and support
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Rowan Rheingans: Dispatches on the Red Dress
Tron Theatre, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Frazey Ford with Adam Holmes & The Embers
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
The Alistair Anderson Band and support
The Mackintosh Church, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Keb' Mo' and The Jellyman's Daughter
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £26.40 plus transaction fee
Lau and Elmøe & Hoffmann
City Halls, 8pm
From £28.60 plus transaction fee
FRIDAY 24 JANUARY
9Bach and The Little Unsaid
Drygate, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Ana Moura and support
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7.30pm
From £22 plus transaction fee
Mànran
Barrowlands Ballroom, 7.30pm
From £22 plus transaction fee
Susanna 'Go Dig My Grave' and support
The Mackintosh Church, 7.30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Paul McKenna Band with The East Pointers
Òran Mór, 7.30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Hannah Read & Andy Monaghan and support
CCA, 7.30pm
From £14.30 plus transaction fee
Alasdair Roberts og Völvur and support
Platform, 7.30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Glad Community Choir Sing Glasgow Inner Choir
Langside Church, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Michael McGoldrick Fused 20th and Dochas
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
The Felice Brothers and The Rails
Saint Luke’s, 8pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
The Jacob Jolliff Band and support
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Boo Hewerdine & Gustaf Ljunngren: Before and support
Tron Theatre, 8pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
SATURDAY 25 JANUARY
The National Whisky Festival
SWG3, Session One: 12pm/ Session Two: 4.15pm
From £38.50 plus transaction fee
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Hide AdPeoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band with Tryst
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 12.30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Auld Lang Syne: BBC SSO & Special Guests
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7.30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Peat & Diesel and support
Barrowland Ballroom, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
The Lone Bellow (TRIIIO Tour) and support
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Christine Hanson's 'The Cremation of Sam McGee'
Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Ryan Bingham - 'An evening of songs and stories' and Steph Grace
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
The Friel Sisters with The High Seas
The Mackintosh Church, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
J.P. Bimeni & The Black Belts and support
Òran Mór, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
BEMIS presents Les Amazones d’Afrique & Special Guests
Tramway, 7.30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
Flook and The Jacob Jolliff Band
City Halls, 7.30pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
Glorious Traces: The Music of Others
The Glad Café, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Damien O'Kane & Ron Block and support
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Peatbog Faeries and The Poozies
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
Celtic Connections Ceilidh Dances
Maryhill Community Central Halls, 8pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
SUNDAY 26 JANUARY
New Voices: Catriona Price
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1pm
From £13.75 plus transaction fee
Hazy Recollections
Drygate, 2pm
£14.30 plus transaction fee
Roaming Roots Revue presents Born To Run: 70th Birthday Tribute to Bruce
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Robyn Hitchcock and support
Drygate, 7.30pm
£17.60 plus transaction fee
Irmin Schmidt and support
Platform, 7.30pm
From £22 plus transaction fee
Phil Cunningham: The Big Six-O Birthday Bash
City Halls, 7.30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Avi Kaplan and support
Saint Luke’s, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Catrin Finch & Cimarron and Dowally
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
TMSA 'Flooers O' The Fairest' Celebrating the lives of Gordeanna McCulloch, Anne Neilson & Maureen Jelks
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
MONDAY 27 JANUARY
The Milk Carton Kids with The Secret Sisters
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
TUESDAY 28 JANUARY
Brew & A Blether
Mackintosh at The Willow, 1pm
From £11 plus transaction fee
Cherish the Ladies 35th Anniversary Celebration
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7.30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Della Mae and Teilhard Frost
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Nitin Sawhney and support
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £26.20 plus transaction fee
WEDNESDAY 29 JANUARY
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Hide AdDementia Friendly Concert: Ainsley Hamill & Alistair Paterson
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1:30pm
Free (ticketed)
Mhairi Hall: Airs
Recital Room, 5pm
From £14.30 plus transaction fee
‘Return To Y'Hup’: The World Of Ivor Cutler
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Sam Baker
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Dallahan with JUURi &JURRI
Tramway, 7.30pm
Price TBC
Grace Petrie and support
King Tut’s, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction
Rachel Dadd and support
The Glad Café, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Anais Mitchell and Bonny Light Horseman
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Sam Lee and Iona Fyfe Trio
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
THURSDAY 30 JANUARY
Charlie Grey & Joseph Peach: Air Iomall
Recital Room, 5pm
From £14.30 plus transaction fee
Brew & A Blether
Mackintosh at The Willow, 1pm
From £11 plus transaction fee
'Sky' & 'Lammermuir' - featuring Tessa Lark, Phamie Gow & the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
‘The Orcadians of Hudson’s Bay’ and support
Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Isobel Campbell and support
The Mackintosh Church, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
Session A9 and Johanna Juhola Trio
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7.30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
The Langan Band and support
Òran Mór, 7.30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Kacy & Clayton and support
CCA, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Joe Newberry & April Verch with The Ledger
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
FRIDAY 31 JANUARY
Transatlantic Sessions
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £30.80 plus transaction fee
Sturgill Simpson and support
Old Fruitmarket, 9:30pm
From £26.40 plus transaction fee
Fatoumata Diawara and VILDÁ
Tramway, 7:30pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
Kinnaris and Westward the Light
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Ross Ainslie & The Sanctuary Band and support
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee
Fiona Hunter with The Trails of Cato
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
ANÚNA with M'ANAM and SIAN
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, 8pm
From £22 plus transaction fee
Tradbeats / É.T.É / Krismenn & Alem
Mitchell Theatre, 7.30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction
SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY
Le Vent du Nord 'Symphonique' with Orchestre Écossais
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £24.20 plus transaction fee
Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti with Afsana Khan, Jackie Shave & Sukhvinder Singh "Pinky" and support
Tramway, 7:30pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
Sierra Hull and Awkward Family Portraits
GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
Frigg with Ímar
City Halls, 7.30pm
From £19.80 plus transaction fee
RANT with SVÄNG
The Mackintosh Church, 7:30pm
From £18.70 plus transaction fee
Christine Kydd and support
Drygate, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Ryley Walker and support
CCA, 7.30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Alex Rex Album Launch featuring Lavinia Blackwell and Stilton, Cath and Phil Tyler & Boss Morris
Platform, 7.30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Yng Ngheredigion
The Glad Café, 7.30pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
Salsa Celtica 25th Anniversary Big Band and Project SMOK
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £22.00 plus transaction fee
Field Music and Tenement & Temple
Kelvingrove Art Gallery, 8pm
From £23.10 plus transaction fee
Celtic Connections Ceilidh Dances
Maryhill Community Central Halls, 8pm
From £15.40 plus transaction fee
SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY
New Voices: Marit Fält
GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1pm
From £13.75 plus transaction fee
Matt Carmichael & Fergus McCreadie
Recital Room, 5pm
From £14.30
Transatlantic Sessions
GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm
From £30.80 plus transaction fee
Kokoroko and support
Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm
From £16.50 plus transaction fee
Shovels & Rope and support
Òran Mór, 7.30pm
From £15.40
Move-Gluasad
Platform, 7.30pm
From £13.75
RURA: 10 Years and special guests
Old Fruitmarket, 8pm
From £17.60 plus transaction fee