Celtic Connections 2020: What's on, venues and ticket info as the festival returns to Glasgow

Now in its 26th year, Celtic Connections is the UK’s premier celebration of celtic music and is described as a festival that ‘lights up winter’ in Scotland. This year, visitors can expect 300 events over 18 days, featuring more than 2000 musicians from 50 countries.

When is Celtic Connections 2020?

The festival runs from 16th January until the 2nd February with events held in various locations throughout Glasgow.

How much are tickets and where are they available?

Tickets start from around £11 with most events coming in at £20-25 although there are some free events. More ticket info and online bookings are available on the Celtic Connections website.

What’s on?

A huge number of live music, ceilidhs and even a festival within the festival are taking place this month.

Highlights include the world premiere of a new orchestral symphony inspired by the Declaration of Arbroath. Composed of six brand new pieces by leading Scottish composers, the symphony will be performed by the Grit Orchestra.

If whisky is your thing then head along to SWG3 and toast our national bard on the 25th January at the National Whisky Festival.

For a bit of everything, and the start of Scotland’s year-long celebration of Coasts and Waters, the ‘festival within a festival’ is a good place to begin.

On Saturday 18th January, Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall will play host to a whole day of concerts and events including live music from Skerryvore, Capercaillie, Daimh, Julie Fowlis, Gnoss, Ingrid Henderson and Fara.

Here is the entire run down of events, and our critics choice can be read here.

THURSDAY 16 JANUARY

Opening Night: The GRIT Orchestra - 'The Declaration'

GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm

From £24.20 plus transaction fee

FRIDAY 17 JANUARY

Breabach & Guests with Seamus Egan Project

GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm

From £22.00 plus transaction fee

Dìleab: Air a’ Chuan

GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm

From £15.40 plus transaction fee

Archieology: Archie Fisher 80th with friends Barbara Dickson & Rab Noakes

Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm

From £17.60 plus transaction fee

Lost Map presents Pictish Trail and Rozi Plain

Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm

From £18.70 plus transaction fee

Fat-Suit: ‘Waifs & Strays’ & special guests

Drygate, 7:30pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

New Tradition: Gillian Fleetwood, Rebecca Hill and Sarah MacNeil

Tron Theatre, 8pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 and support

Old Fruitmarket, 9:30pm

From £19.80 plus transaction fee

SATURDAY 18 JANUARY

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with Allt

City Halls, 7:30pm

From £24.20 plus transaction fee

The GRIT Orchestra - Martyn Bennett's Grit & Bothy Culture

Barrowland Ballroom, 7.30pm

From £24.20 plus transaction fee

Cam Penner & Jon Wood with Midnight Skyracer

GRCH: New Auditorium 7.30pm

From £17.60 plus transaction fee

Stockton's Wing and Mná

Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm

From £22.00 plus transaction fee

Peggy Seeger & Calum MacColl

Mitchell Theatre, 7.30pm

From £17.60 plus transaction fee

John Craigie and support

CCA, 7:30pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

Blazin' Fiddles & Special Guest Emily Smith and support

GRCH: Main Auditorium 8pm

From £22 plus transaction fee

Ceòlas – 25th Anniversary Concert

Old Fruitmarket, 8pm

From £18.70 plus transaction fee

Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald and support

Strathclyde Suite, 8pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

Noah Gundersen and support

Tron Theatre, 8pm

From £18.70 plus transaction fee

Celtic Connections Ceilidh Dances

Maryhill Community Central Halls, 8pm

£15.40 plus transaction fee

SUNDAY 19 JANUARY

New Voices: Padruig Morrison

GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1pm

From £13.75 plus transaction fee

Hazy Recollections

Drygate, 2pm

£14.30 plus transaction fee

Lucy Rose and Rory Butler

GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm

From £22.00 plus transaction fee

Hamish Napier: The Woods with Sarah-Jane Summers: Owerset

Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm

From £19.80 plus transaction fee

Tyler Childers and support

Saint Luke’s, 7:30pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

Robert Vincent and Amy Papiransky

Òran Mór, 7:30pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

A Celebration of Women in Piping

GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

Dervish & Special Guests: The Great Irish Songbook

Main Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 7.30pm

£24.20 plus transaction fee

MONDAY 20 JANUARY

Dementia Friendly Concert: Calum Morrison & Catherine Tinney

GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 1:30pm

Free (ticketed)

Iris DeMent and Pieta Brown

GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm

From £24.20 plus transaction fee

TUESDAY 21 JANUARY

Brew & A Blether

Mackintosh at The Willow, 1pm

From £11 plus transaction fee

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters and support

Mitchell Theatre, 7:30pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

The Big Fling - Scottish Dance Band Extravaganza

GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7.30pm

From £22 plus transaction fee

Tommy Emmanuel and Rodney Branigan

City Halls, 8pm

From £28.60 plus transaction fee

Cathal McConnell Trio and The Canny Band

GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY

Jamie MacDougall: Lauder

Tron Theatre, 2pm

From £19.80 plus transaction fee

Yorkston/Thorne/Khan and Djana Gabrielle

Drygate, 7:30pm

From £17.60 plus transaction fee

Jimmie McGregor at 90 Years Young

Òran Mór, 7.30pm

From £19.80 plus transaction fee

Maggie MacInnes and Dàibhidh Stiùbhard

GRCH: Strathclyde Suite, 8pm

From £16.50 plus transaction fee

Jamie MacDougall: Lauder

Tron Theatre, 8pm

From £19.80 plus transaction fee

THURSDAY 23 JANUARY

Brew & A Blether

Mackintosh at The Willow, 1pm

From £11 plus transaction fee

BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Awards Concert: 20th Anniversary

GRCH: Main Auditorium, 7:30pm

From £22.00 plus transaction fee

James Grant & The Hallelujah String Quartet and support

GRCH: New Auditorium, 7:30pm