REEL BIG DEAL
Gear up for top Celtic festival’s 25th year
It’s Britain’s top Celtic music festival and the largest winter music event of its kind – and this year it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Between January 18 and February 4, Glasgow welcomes back the world-famous and hugely popular Celtic Connections, which promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
It has become one of scotland’s best-loved music festivals and has rapidly expanded from its early days of 66 events in one venue back in 1994.
With 300 events, from indie, traditional, folk, jazz and even an appearance by stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill, held across 20 venues from concert halls to community centres and even a brewery, Glasgow is the place to be to celebrate all things musically Celtic.
More than 2,000 artists will take part in a packed programme, from gigs and workshops to ceilidhs, art exhibitions and late-night sessions.
A gala concert this thursday will kick things off at the city’s Royal Concert Hall, directed by pianist David Milligan, who performed at the first festival.
With a nod to the history of the event, the line-up includes everyone from sharon shannon and Eddi Reader to Drever McCusker Woomble, sharat Chandra srivastava, and saltfishforty, with more surprise guests to be announced.
throughout the festival, look out for the Merchant City trad trail, which sees Glasgow Music City tours bring its special Celtic Connections-themed walking tours to the city.
the two-hour tour, held daily, starts from the scottish Music Centre at the City Halls and promises tales of the songwriters and storytellers who have been instrumental in shaping Glasgow’s buzzing folk culture.
On January 20 and 27 and February 3 even the youngest of music fans can get a piece of the action.
Corelo’s Interactive Workshop for the under-fives includes storytelling, music and song through sign language, scent and movement.
Look out for the come-and-try events with everything from the mandolin and clarsach to fiddle and even synths. there will also be a chance to try step and Irish dancing.
On January 27, head for the SSE Hydro for Bothy Culture & Beyond, which is described as a music-vision-dance-bike spectacular, featuring the GRIT Orchestra and guests and awe-inspiring skye-born stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill.
the event celebrates the music of the late Martyn Bennett, and violinist Greg Lawson has orchestrated Bennett’s second album Bothy Culture – and Lawson’s treatment will receive its world premiere here.
the performance will include a special appearance by MacAskill as well as a display from aerial dance company All or Nothing.
the line-up for this year’s festival is the perfect mix of music from the past to the present, and also looks ahead to the growing experimental music scene.
Both homegrown and international stars including the Peatbog Faeries, Ricky Ross, King Creosote, string sisters and skerryvore will join forces for 18 days of the best music around.
Come along and celebrate this milestone with fantastic musical events across Glasgow.