Celtic Connections Opens With Music, Meaning and a City in Full Voice

By Stevie Connor | The Sound Cafe

There are festivals, and then there are living, breathing cultural moments, and Celtic Connections, now in its 33rd year, continues to remind us why Glasgow in winter remains one of the great meeting points of the global music community.

The opening weekend of Celtic Connections unfolded like a carefully composed suite: joyful, defiant, international, and deeply rooted. Across more than 80 gigs and events, tens of thousands of festival-goers filled concert halls, clubs, churches and late-night spaces, creating a shared atmosphere where tradition met innovation and friendship flowed as freely as the music.

At the heart of the weekend stood American country legend Emmylou Harris, whose presence alone carried decades of musical history into the room. Sharing the same expansive programme were Scottish trad-rock favourites Skerryvore, and Palestinian singer-songwriter Amal Kaawash, whose performances underlined what Celtic Connections does best, placing voices from different cultures on equal footing, allowing stories to resonate far beyond borders.

One of the most visually arresting moments came on Saturday night at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, where Ross Ainslie, Ali Hutton and MC Stuart Cassells led a breathtaking, colour-drenched finale for the Gordon Duncan Tribute Pipe Band. Sombreros, smiles and sheer exuberance turned the stage into a celebration of legacy and joy, honouring Duncan’s influence while embracing the festival’s playful, inclusive spirit.

Elsewhere, the energy shifted but never dimmed. RuMac and Jarad Rowan delivered a powerhouse set at SWG3, while Katie Gregson-MacLeod at The Barony Hall offered intimacy and lyrical grace. At Saint Luke’s, Malian singer Rokia Koné, the Rose of Bamako, brought sophistication, soul and global perspective to a packed house, a reminder that Celtic Connections has always been as much about dialogue as it is about tradition.

Beyond headline performances, the festival’s beating heart continued to thrive. The ever-essential Danny Kyle Open Stage, The House of Song, Drygate Brewery Late Sessions, and the much-welcomed return of the Festival Club at the beloved Glasgow Art School were brimming with emerging voices and late-night magic. These are the spaces where conversations begin, collaborations spark, and tomorrow’s artists find their footing.

Family audiences were not forgotten. Smiles and movement filled Family Ceilidhs and Mini Manoeuvres, while future Scottish folk stars and virtuoso pianists blended traditional and classical disciplines in the RCS Traditional Music Showcase and Mhairi Hall: Of The Land, proof that heritage here is not preserved in glass, but actively reimagined.

Sunday night promises one of the festival’s most emotionally resonant gatherings. True & Bold: A Night for Dick Gaughan brings together an extraordinary all-star cast, Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, Karen Matheson, Siobhan Miller, Michael McGoldrick, Kris Drever, Tommy Sands, Lisa O’Neill, Billy Bragg, Karine Polwart, and many more, hosted by Stewart Lee, in celebration of one of Scotland’s most influential folk singer-songwriters. It’s a moment of reflection, gratitude and collective memory, precisely the kind of evening Celtic Connections was built for.

Other highlights today include An Evening With Watchhouse at Cottiers Theatre, Pragsan and Dana in the Strathclyde Suite, and New Voices featuring Luc McNally, further underlining the festival’s ability to balance reverence with renewal.

Looking ahead, the coming week promises equally rich rewards, with appearances from The MacLean Brothers, Mon Rovia, Irish singing legend Sharon Shannon, The Ayoub Sisters with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and The Chair Orkney Anniversary Special featuring Fara and Gnoss.

With around 110,000 people expected before the festival concludes on 1 February, Celtic Connections once again confirms its status as Europe’s largest winter music festival — and one of its most human. Delivered by Glasgow Life in partnership with Innis & Gunn, with support from Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund, the festival continues to showcase Glasgow not just as a city of music, but as a city of welcome.

Tickets and full programme details are available at celticconnections.com, with young people encouraged to join the Under 26 Community for ticket offers and prize draws. A free-to-use gallery of images will be updated throughout the festival, capturing moments that words can only begin to describe.

In a world that often feels fragmented, Celtic Connections reminds us, gently but firmly, that music still has the power to bring us together, one shared moment at a time.

What to expect: Highlights from 2025.

About the Writer:

Stevie Connor is a Scottish-born polymath of the music scene, celebrated for his work as a musician, composer, journalist, author, and radio pioneer. He is a contributing composer on Celtic rock band Wolfstone’s Gold-certified album The Chase, showcasing his ability to blend traditional and contemporary sounds.

Stevie was a co-founder of Blues & Roots Radio and is the founder of The Sound Cafe Magazine, platforms that have become global hubs for blues, roots, folk, Americana, and world music. Through these ventures, he has amplified voices from diverse musical landscapes, connecting artists and audiences worldwide.

A respected juror for national music awards including the JUNO Awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Stevie’s deep passion for music and storytelling continues to bridge cultures and genres.

Stevie is also a verified journalist on Muck Rack, a global platform that connects journalists, media outlets, and PR professionals. He was the first journalist featured on Muck Rack's 2023 leaderboard. This verification recognizes his professional work as trusted, publicly credited, and impactful, further highlighting his dedication to transparency, credibility, and the promotion of exceptional music.

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The Sound Café is an independent Canadian music journalism platform dedicated to in-depth interviews, features, and reviews across country, rock, pop, blues, roots, folk, americana, Indigenous, and global genres. Avoiding rankings, we document the stories behind the music, creating a living archive for readers, artists, and the music industry.

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