World-renowned music festival Celtic Connections today unveils an incredible programme powered by a spirit of discovery for its 2027 edition, as it prepares to fill Glasgow with music, meaning and shared experiences this winter.
From 14 – 31 January 2027, the festival of folk, traditional, roots, world, jazz, orchestral, electronic, Americana and indie music will welcome musicians from over 20 countries, including from across Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada, Spain, Senegal, Australia, Pakistan, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Sudan, India and Portugal, for its 34th edition.
The forward-thinking festival, which embraces tradition as something alive and constantly evolving, is aiming to build on a buoyant year, with the festival enjoying record ticket sales in 2026 as it welcomed 1,600 artists and saw attendances of 114,000 at 300 events across 25 venues.
An incredible wave of music is set to hit the city as the festival readies itself to stage gigs in venues for the first time, like the Tall Ship Glenlee, make a welcome return to spaces like the O2 Academy, continue its pioneering use of Glasgow International Arena – formerly the Emirates Arena – for live music, and fill the city’s best loved venues such as the Old Fruitmarket, SWG3 and Saint Luke’s.
Among the biggest moments of the 2027 programme will be the world premiere of a new chapter for Scotland’s GRIT Orchestra, which will open the festival with a major concert celebrating Scottish traditional music in an orchestral setting.
Conducted by Greg Lawson, the evolved line-up will perform new arrangements of some of the best-known melodies in the folk repertoire, alongside music by the late Martyn Bennett, whose work inspired the original GRIT Orchestra.
Glasgow International Arena will again host two of the festival’s largest concerts. Irish folk-rock favourites The Saw Doctors will play one of their biggest Glasgow headline shows to date, while Indian composer AR Rahman will bring Rangreza रंगरेज़ा to the venue with Rushil Ranjan and Abi Sampa. The orchestral production, which blends Western and Indian classical music, will be performed in the UK outside London’s Royal Albert Hall for the first time.
Elsewhere, Newton Faulkner will stage two unusually intimate acoustic performances at the 110-capacity Recital Rooms at City Halls, while José González will play Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Irish accordionist Sharon Shannon will bring her Big Band to the O2 Academy, joined by special guests including Bob Geldof.
The Beatles will provide the inspiration for the latest Roaming Roots Revue, with The Beatles: When I’m 64 bringing together a line-up of guest singers led by Roddy Hart, backed by the Lonesome Fire Band and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Orchestra.
Several artists will also join forces with Scotland’s leading orchestras. Irish folk group Ye Vagabonds will perform with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, King Creosote will collaborate with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and smallpipes player Brìghde Chaimbeul will team up with the Scottish Ensemble.
The programme will include a number of special tributes. Scottish folk musician Archie Fisher will be remembered at City Halls, while artists influenced by Joni Mitchell will perform her music at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Glasgow folk singer Matt McGinn will be celebrated at the Tron Theatre 50 years after his death, and Georgia Rose Lucas will stage an 80th anniversary tribute to her mother, folk-rock pioneer Sandy Denny.
Kelvingrove will also host two nights curated by Karine Polwart under the title Curiosity Cabinet, inspired by objects in the museum’s collection. Hebridean quartet Sian will join Irish duo Deora for a separate evening of Gaelic song.
Environmental themes will run through several performances. Writer and campaigner George Monbiot will host Songs for the Environment with Megalichen and Siobhan Wilson’s trio FLOWERCORE, while The Shackleton Trio will perform new music inspired by changing seas and oceans, following the recording of an album aboard RRS Discovery in Dundee.
Some of the biggest names in Scottish and Irish traditional music will also return, including Trail West, Elephant Sessions, Siobhan Miller, Kris Drever, Julie Fowlis, Breabach, Kim Carnie and Beoga.
Emerging artists feature prominently across the programme, with Glasgow contemporary folk group Tarran, Lewis singer-songwriter Josie Duncan, Irish group BIIRD and Manx fiddle player Isla Callister among those appearing. Astro Bloc will play their first headline show at the festival, two years after making their debut there.
The festival’s cross-cultural collaborations will include A Toast Fae the Lassies, a musical play offering a new perspective on Robert Burns, and the world premiere of Pan on Assynt, which will see fiddle player Duncan Chisholm set the words of poet Norman MacCaig to music.
International acts include bluegrass star Sierra Hull, The Brudi Brothers, The Milk Carton Kids and Grammy-winning Punch Brothers, while Sudanese singer and oud player Sulaf will make her Scottish debut at Òran Mór. Indian musician Raghu Dixit will appear at Drygate, Mauritanian artist Noura Mint Seymali will perform her blend of traditional music and desert blues, and Momi Maiga will appear as part of World Connections at Tramway.
The festival will also welcome Asturias as its 2027 international partner, showcasing music from the Spanish region, while three artists – Fionnlagh Mac A’ Phiocair, Andrew Waite and Madeleine Stewart – have been commissioned to create new work through the New Voices initiative.
Alongside the headline concerts, Celtic Connections will again stage school events, dementia-friendly performances, Festival Club sessions and late-night shows across Glasgow throughout its three-week run.
Celtic Connections Creative Director Donald Shaw, who will mark 21 years at the helm of the festival, said: “January is all about embracing musical exploration, uncovering something new that takes you by surprise, and getting out and about regardless of the dark nights.
“This festival believes in great music, excellent company and the power of connection. That spirit of discovery and optimism runs right through the 2027 programme, with artists people will know and love, new names, unique collaborations and shows that simply won’t happen anywhere else. For 18 days, Celtic Connections will be a meeting place for cultures, ideas and a sprinkling of intangible magic, so come and get curious, we promise you won’t regret it.”