7 October 2026

Celtic Connections presents 2027 programme powered by spirit of discovery

A group of five musicians gathered on the deck of a tall ship in front of a Riverside Museum in Glasgow. They are holding harps, guitars, violins, keyboard and drum.

World-renowned music festival Celtic Connections has unveiled 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.

Celtic Connections will continue to inspire and push boundaries in 2027, with 18 days of unique events, special collaborations, world premieres, and intimate shows, all celebrating music’s power to transcend borders, cultures, generations and genres.

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.

General tickets go on sale at 10am, Thursday 8 October at celticconnections.com for the first shows confirmed for 2027, with new gigs on sale each Thursday in October. Celtic Rovers will have access to 24-hour pre-sale.

Delivered by Glasgow Life – the charity that leads culture, events and active living in Glasgow – the multi-award-winning festival reflects the UNESCO City of Music itself: international, creative, welcoming, packed with personality and proud of its identity.

For 2027, Celtic Connections is embracing its role both as the ultimate winter blues buster, and as a no-brainer budget-friendly January night out. The rollout of New Roots – a £1 membership scheme for under 26s – will allow students and young music lovers to get up to 50% off tickets for selected shows.

Celtic Connections 2027 takes place from Thursday 14 to Sunday 21 January 2027.  

The launch programme can be viewed at www.celticconnections.com, with new shows live each Thursday over the next month.

More information is available in the Celtic Connections launch release on the Glasgow Life website.