Musicians will travel from Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, France, Italy, Nigeria, Spain, Wales, Ireland and the Republic of the Congo, to perform in venues including the Old Fruitmarket, Barrowland Ballroom, SWG3, Saint Luke’s and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Peat and Diesel, an act from the Western Isles, will become the first band to play at the Emirates Arena in the city’s east end.
The festival runs from January 16 to February 2 and 11,000 visitors are expected, with an estimated 1,200 musicians and artists taking part in 300 events – which organisers said reinforced Glasgow’s status as a Unesco music city.
Headliner KT Tunstall has already sold out a show at the Barrowland Ballroom; and will reflect on 20 years since her major album, Eye to the Telescope, with a night at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, amid efforts to ensure a gender balance.
Grammy-award-winning Americana singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett will make his debut at the festival when he headlines in January at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with his acoustic group.
The festival returns this month (Image: NQ)
Here’s a list of the venues which will welcome performers and audiences this year:
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Main Auditorium
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Strathclyde Suite
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, New Auditorium
The Old Fruitmarket
City Halls
Tramway
Barony Hall
The Pavilion
Theatre Royal
Cottier’s
Drygate
Saint Luke’s
Óran Mòr
Mackintosh Church
The National Piping Centre
Recital Room, City Halls
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Emirates Arena
Barrowlands
SWG3
O2 Academy
Glad Cafe
Hug and Pint
King Tut’s
Glasgow Film Theatre
National Library for Scotland at Kelvin Hall
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Green Room
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Exhibition Hall
Glee Club
Glasgow Caledonian University
Novotel, Glasgow City Centre
Around the streets of Glasgow – Walking Tours
Tickets are available from www.celticconnections.com
Grammy award-winning American artist, Madison Cunningham, will also perform, while Scots Singer of the Year Beth Malcolm will showcase her forthcoming new album with a headline show at Barony Hall.
Folk singer and storyteller Karine Polwart will have a headline show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for the first time in her 25-year career.
The festival brings a wide variety of shows to Glasgow (Image: NQ) Donald Shaw, creative producer for Celtic Connections, said: “We are incredibly proud of Celtic Connections’ place as an ecosystem for new music. We are bringing together international icons with emerging acts to create never-seen-before collaborations, not to mention great nights out for our audiences.
“Celtic Connections went from being primarily a Glasgow festival, to a national festival, to an international flagship event. Like many acts on our line-up, we have expanded over the years, drawing inspiration from tradition and the boundless possibilities of contemporary music. Through it all, Glasgow remains at our heart, so to open the festival in celebration of our city’s artistic clout is incredibly special.
“In the last 20 years, traditional music has entered the mainstream, it’s embraced in our pubs and biggest venues, and we will once again drive the genre’s profile forward in our artistic commissions. If you think Glasgow in January isn’t the place to be – you just haven’t ever been to Celtic Connections.”