Celtic Connections 2026 kicks off!

Celtic Connections 2026 kicks off next week - Thursday, 15 January - and is set to attracts thousands of music lovers  across the world to Glasgow for the premier winter music festival of its kind. Famed for its adventurous spirit, the festival will stage more than 300 events across 25 venues and spanning more than 10 genres across 18 days.

I have attended, covered and photographed at the festival since 2008, nearly twenty years now!! The lighting at concerts is now much more sophisticated. At this cold, dark time of year Celtic Connections offers some joyous warmth with the range, quality and diversity of their unique and international collaborations. Over the years I’ve been to so many memorable concerts. 

 

Everything You Need to Know About Celtic Connections 2026

 

The renowned festival every year transforms Glasgow in January into a must-visit destination for music lovers is now just over a week away.

Celtic Connections – Scotland’s premier winter festival of its kind – attracts thousands of fans and performers to the city from all corners of the world, offering unforgettable moments, groundbreaking collaborations, and a love for music that only Glasgow can provide with its many outstanding venues.

 

When is it?

The countdown is on! Celtic Connections 2026 runs from 15 January to 1 February 2026. Over 300 events at 25+ venues across the city, with audiences of more than 110,000 expected to experience Glasgow’s biggest winter celebration of music and culture.

 

Who’s performing?

With a lineup of over 1,200 artists, of global icons, homegrown heroes and breakthrough names.

Headliners 2026 include country music royalty Emmylou Harris, legendary Cuban collective Buena Vista All Stars, Americana powerhouse Lucinda Williams,Scottish folk-rock pioneers Skerryvore, Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, Senegalese orchestral sensation Baobab,

 

Québec’s vibrant music scene contributes acts like Le Vent du Nord and Bon Débarras, highlighting the festival’s commitment to international cultural exchange. indie duo Watchhouse and Mon Rovîa, who tells his refugee story through the healing sound of Afro-Appalachian folk.

Opening Concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, World Connections, and a range of one-off collaborations featured throughout the programme. Festival favourites return, including Roaming Roots Revue (Icons Vol. 2), Transatlantic Sessions, and the Danny Kyle Open Stage that showcases emerging talent.

 

Is it for young people?

Absolutely! Celtic Connections is dedicated to making world-class music accessible to everyone, including the next generation. The popular Under 26 Festival Pass is back, providing discounted entry for those aged 18 - 25 to a selection of events – perfect for students, young professionals, and anyone discovering new sounds.

Additionally, the acclaimed Education Programme returns, with thousands of local schoolchildren invited to special concerts and workshops, planting the seeds for a lifelong love of music.

 

What type of music can you hear?

Celtic Connections is famed for its adventurous spirit – audiences will enjoy traditional folk, roots, indie, and world music; blues, jazz, orchestral, Americana, and even electronic influences. 

Experience Gaelic song and Scottish ballads, orchestral world premieres, like The Ayoub Sisters’ Arabic Symphony, roots collaborations linking Scotland with Brazil, Mexico, and beyond, and captivating new commissions. Whether you crave the pulse of a late-night ceilidh or the intimacy of story-driven folk, the festival showcases music in all its diversity.

 

What’s new for 2026?

Once again ambitious collaborations and boundary-pushing debuts take centre stage:

•    For the first time, the Emirates Arena will host two back to back shows: an incredible farewell show from Emmylou Harris and its largest folk-rock party yet with Skerryvore

•    Citizens Theatre becomes an official festival venue for the first time, welcoming the likes of Glasgow’s own spellbinding Alice Faye and Òran Ùr, a night celebrating 25 years of new Gaelic songs

•    Cross-cultural projects bring together musicians from Scotland, Sweden, Ireland, Mexico, Brazil and Iraq

•    Innovative shows like Tràigh Mhòr will bring Brazilian and Scottish roots together, and the world premiere of Delusions blends music, spoken word and multimedia art, while the Maclean Brothers’ night will celebrate extraordinary stories of endurance and global connection

•    A new multi-year partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival sees groundbreaking collaborations between Scotland's celebrated writers and musicians including The Golden Road featuring William Dalrymple, India Alba and renowned artists.

 

How do I get a ticket?

Tickets for the festival are available now at www.celticconnections.com. 

 

Celtic Connections Creative Producer, Donald Shaw, said: “Celtic Connections is big, bold and inspiring – it’s a festival that isn’t afraid to take risks, champions artistic expression and believes in collaboration, and having fun. There’s a special kind of magic that fills Glasgow every January during Celtic Connections. Come and join us to experience unforgettable shows, world-class artists, and surprises around every corner. We can’t wait to share these moments with everyone who loves music as much as we do!”

 

This year’s festival, delivered by Glasgow Life in partnership with Innis & Gunn, promises inspiration, discovery and the warmest of welcomes – here’s everything you need to know.

Celtic Connections is delivered with funding from Glasgow City Council through Glasgow Life. Creative Scotland and The Scottish Government Festivals Expo Fund continue to provide invaluable support to Celtic Connections.

Demarco’s Festival of Thought

 

We hoped the internet would open new horizons –  and it does – but it also the internet means ideas go down dark, narrow rabbit holes and echo chambers. Our Scots bard was a free thinker – because he was well read and informed. A Man O Independent mind.

Edinburgh festival promoter, Richard Demarco advocates for a new – ‘Festival of Thought’ – to bring together the best minds and creative thinkers to counter this crushing of ideas by blind right wing dictatorships that aim to shut down open debate and silence creativity. Edinburgh was the home fo the Scottish enlightenment 1750 to 1790. 

 

*Freedom to be Creative 

 - Scottish cultural icon Richard Demarco, and long time Edinburgh festival supporter, has attended every festival since 1947. He advocates we need informed debate to counter the rise of the right across Europe and the world. 

 

He wants to see Edinburgh host an annual “Festival of Thought”. His idea is to bring to the city the world’s finest liberal thinkers from the humanities, from the Arts and culture, from all the sciences and technologies. “There should be no separation between science and the Arts. Leonardo Da Vinci, perhaps the greatest artist ever to live, was a great scientist, an engineer and artist.”

He calls for ‘a Festival of Thought’ to help save liberal democracy. The Freedom to find Truth and Light. “Truth is the foundation stone for all creativity, for all the unlocking of great culture, in any genre, in any society, in any land.

*Its about Truth -  To remind the world of the role of culture in love, in peace and in liberal thought and liberal society. 

Demarco see the rise of the far right and Reform as a threat to the freedom that necessary for creativity. A Scots Italian who sees himself as a European and Reform as the enemy of the beliefs that he has held dear throughout his life. 

“Reform is a danger to the Edinburgh Festivals” he says.

 

Demarco fears the world is on the edge of a new dark age. There is the rise of the authoritarian right and with that the capacity of humankind to dim the flame of enlightenment, “to quench the human spirit.” ….Ukraine is more than a fight for territory and national sovereignty: it is essentially a fight for democracy, for freedom of the mind, the heart and the soul. He profoundly believes in liberal democracy as the only civilized way of managing society so that human beings are truly free.  

The Far Right - is trying to shut down freedom thought

“The rise of the far right is a threat to the freedoms needed for creativity”. 

 

How much does the media truly reflect truth today, and not simply meaningless Soundbites and Clickbaits - and the lack of informed debate. How is impartiality possible when one side peddle obvious lies. Politicians speak of growth or austerity (or both) while following policies that are the opposite – there’s been no growth. Many countries are in crisis, which allows the views of the Far Right. We can’t sit on the fence. 

Demarco calls for his friend Robert Sturus to come to Scotland for the festivals 80^th birthday in 2026. Sturus is the director of the Rustaveli state Theatre of Georgia. In 1979 he brought Shakespeare’s Richard III to Edinburgh. 

II  **The First Festival:  The origins of the Edinburgh Festivals, from the geopolitics of the past 80 years and his travels across the globe carrying a torch for culture. For decades he has been a central figure in Scottish cultural life and an early shaper of the Festival. He was a pioneer of the Fringe and a lifelong champion of the power of the Arts to improve lives and promote the benefits of culture. He’s been critical of the Festivals, arguing that the city has become a theme park and have declined into parochialism……

Out of the darkness of the war and the crushing of democracy, human rights and freedoms came a world in desperate need of unity.,,, the first Edinburgh Festival. “It was an expression of the flowering of the best instincts of the human spirit.”

He’d like to see Edinburgh rediscover that spirit and its idealism…..“When the Festival started in 1947, I thought that the city could be the cultural capital of the world. It brought the world’s greatest musicians, actors, singers, dancers, playwrights, poets, authors and artists to my home” says Demarco.…when hope was in the air and the post-war world of Edinburgh and Europe was alive with optimism and possibilities.”  

“We must bring Sturus to Edinburgh in 2026. To reaffirm the roots of the festival, as a celebration of European culture and art every form. To hear him speak freely.” 

III    Richard Demarco is near his 95^th birthday and he still burns with urgent intellectual intensity and his passion for the civilizing qualities of culture and human creativity still burns strong.  Demarco says that out of the darkness of the war and the crushing of democracy, human rights and freedoms came a world in desperate need of unity.,,, the first Edinburgh Festival. “It was an expression of the flowering of the best instincts of the human spirit.”    

*      *      *       * 

**Martin Roche interviewed Richard Demarco – artist, author, organiser and cultural innovator – on the eve of his 95^th birthday. Fiercely pro-European, Demarco proposed a new “Festival of Thought”. 14^th July 2025  -  “A Reform government is a danger to the Edinburgh Festivals,” says Richard Demarco  He calls for ‘a Festival of Thought’ to help save liberal democracy. 

 

Extracts from.

**Article From a Perthshire Castle, Gauntlet of Truth is thrown down to Authoritarianism

Sunday National 31.8.25, Martin Roche

Voices of Hope Edinburgh Book festival 2025

Edinburgh International Book Festival at the Futures Institute

I travel on warm sunny days and with heightened senses and high anticipation for new insights and inspirations. The Edinburgh festivals offer HOPE in a present world often torn apart. A place for shared, diverse voices from across the world. The theme of this years Edinburgh International book festival was ‘How do we Repair’- looking for positives and connections, “to repair and reconcile in culture, politics and environment, through improving balance, resilience and hope”.   

 

The book festival is now hosted behind and on the ground floor of the impressive newly renovated Edinburgh Futures Institute near the Meadows walkway and Edinburgh university. The book festival aims to offer a safe place to challenge and to question – with over 600 writers from 35 countries offered differing perspectives on personal, social and global significance.100+ talks were live streamed. 

EIBF hosted workshops, school events, music and poetry, young adult and children’s talks. The children’s events included over 100 talks and included renowned authors Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson and Cressida Cowell.

Nicola Sturgeon with Kirsty Wark

Jenny Nelson & Mark Kermode

Resilience: Renowned author Hanif Kureishi gave a talk about his recovery from a devastating accident which left him paralysed. Shattered But Unbroken. There were several book talks on books on the war in Gaza, which has turned into such destruction. Israeli writer Ilan Pappe and Israeli historian Avi Shlaim discussed the conflict in the Middle East and whether peace can exist.

Ivo Graham

Alexander McCall Smith

Brian Cox

Kate Dickie

Paula Hawkins

**TALKS

Foreign correspondent Lindsey Hilsum came with her book of war poetry, I Brought the War with me’

And spoke of how we remember poetry more than journalists stories of war. She always carries a book of poems with her to help make sense of the destruction. It’s the spaces between, the forgotten.

 

I enjoyed a talk by larger than life and popular film critic Mark Kermode, along with Radio producer Jenny Niven on their book on film music Surround Sound. This has interviews with film music composers – Johnny Greenwood and many more.  

The festival included prominent Front list talks at McEwan hall -

Former Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon held a positive chat with Kirsty Wark, about her new book Frankly. Mark Kermode talked all things film and acting with well kent Scots actors – Brian Cox, Kate Dickie and Michelle Gomez.

There were protests during a The Front List chat with: Yulia Navalnaya, about her husband the late

Alexei Navalnaya, over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

 

There were Podcasts, live cabaret, and exclusive talks. Young adult program, Children’s program. Something for everyone. Edinburgh book festival is supported by Creative Scotland, Edinburgh city council, Lottery funds. 

The festival promotes vision, resilience and a safe place IN PERSON to debate! To encourage liberal thought – To remind the world of the role of freedom, truth, culture and the arts. We should find out what unites us, and what we have in common rather than what divides us. 

Sam Heughan

Naga Munchetty

Michael Pedersen

Maggie O'Farrell

What can Scots do!

Some talks feel like English voices with a few Scots asking questions. The narrative here is Scotland needs to change – to what can Scots do! And NOT, we have business brought to us! We must do for ourselves. We’ve had 3 big figures of the devolution government. Now the baton needs to pass to a new generation. 

 *An academic from Dublin suggests that “America should never have united," under its centralised control. Trump attempts to take control. The Maga movement for instance, appears to be culture wars between the extreme left and the extreme right. And the toxic online culture, which can’t differentiate between healthy debate and saying I dislike you, because of your views. Many in today politics seem shallow and thin, with no moral backbone or hinterland - the opposite of a an informed debate. We need Citizens Assemblies. Use your time wisely and don’t get sucked into ignorant, sensationalistic echo chambers. Look wider and broader for ideas – for innovation, diverse views and creative freedoms. 

I met a young German book researcher at the talk on film music, who was there at the book festival for the week. She had studied at Edinburgh university (before the Brexit  Scotland did not vote for). We chatted and I asked her whether there must be plenty of excellent book festivals in Germany. To which she replied, oh no, not like the Edinburgh book festival!  I was surprised certainly. 

We should find out what unites us, what we have in common rather than what divides us. Hopefully Edinburgh festivals can continue to be a place for hope, voices form many places, to celebrate all the arts and that cross over. To celebrate the endurance of the human spirit.

 

**QUOTES from the festival:

Brian Cox, We need good people. 

Kate Dickie, “I love England as a neighbour, but if you’re roof is leaking, you don’t ask your neighbour to fix it.”   Tariq Ali, Fighting the empire

Edinburgh festival cultural icon Richard Demarco - “Reform is a danger to the Edinburgh Festivals”, 

He calls for “a Festival of Thought” to help save liberal democracy - with no politicians.

Some celebrity faces attend EIBF - 

 

**BOOKS & TALKS

Surround Sound – Mark Kermode and Jenny Niven

I Brought the War with me – Lindsey Hilsum

After Gaza – Pankaj Mishra

Frankly – Nicola Sturgeon 

Shattered but Unbroken – Hanif Kureishi 

A Truce that is not Peace – Miriam Toews

 

I would prefer not to see “History” books in the EIBF Bookshop by the archaeologist Neil Oliver or by the Canadian historical fiction writer John Prebble – of the Scotland lost and gone forever. Please stock more of Tom Devine’s well informed and articulate books. Also the excellent critiques of polticla theoristsTom Nairn. 

**Two competing Narratives 

Pakistani author Pankaj Mishra was writing about the two totally opposing narratives in the middle east – one of the Israelis (from the river to the sea) and the other of Palestinians (our Homelands) in his book After Gaza. It all made me think in Scotland we also have two opposing, irreconcilable narratives. In 2025 Scotland is stuck, so how can we move forward in love, in peace and in liberal thought?

 

Indy for Scotland’s self determination and improving democracy. Scots need a say over our own energy resources, immigration, climate, and infrastructure. We can still unite for good trade and security together. Unionism is for strength by being run by London, and being ‘together’ with the high centralization in London. Westminster refuses Scotland another vote.  

 

“Nationalism is both good and bad” wrote politician historian Tom Nairn. All Nationalisms are different. He claims Scotland’s nationalism is unique as Scotland jumped ahead to a modern state 1700s. By contrast European states moved to modern states 1800s, due to the uneven nature of capitalism. Scots nationalism is about our self determination. 

All I hear is depressive negatives and an SNP Bad message by the dominant mainstream unionist media. But indy isn’t all about the SNP. Its about democracy, accountability and how our democracy works or doesn’t work. Is devolution simply a trap? Someone at Westminster said recently – “Oh I forgot you’ve got that pretend government in Scotland.” After decades – the SNP Party was begun in 1934 - I’ve heard many reasons for Scottish indy, but so far I’m still searching for a positive reasons for the union.

STRANDS: Brilliant Fiction. Fascinating Non-Fiction will explore everything from moving memoirs to scientific excavations, family odysseys to travelogues. Good Information brings together a host of trustworthy experts well versed in sifting out hard fact and cutting through murky algorithms to give you an honest account of a diverse range of topics. New World Orders gathers the most authoritative voices across international and domestic politics, conflict, economics, and law to engage with and dissect current affairs, and Brainwaves holds up a magnifying glass to all things cranial, including mental health, neuroscience, and psychology. How to Live a Meaningful Life, guiding audiences new and deeper ways of creating connection, resilience and hope, amongst the chaos, and an expanded Table Talks series, with top chefs and food writers taking to the stage – or rather around the table – in intimate gatherings with audiences to enjoy delicious food and make memories together. Music, Poetry and Performance