World-renowned winter music festival Celtic Connections opens

Europe's premier folk, roots and world music festival Celtic Connections opened in Glasgow last night, for what will be one of its biggest-ever capacity programmes.

Running until 4 February, the renowned 18-day event kickstarts Scotland's annual cultural calendar and showcases Glasgow's UNESCO City of Music status and role as the country's cultural powerhouse. The festival will welcome celebrated artists from around the world for an inimitable celebration of cultural exchange and musical innovation.

Delivered by Glasgow Life as part of the city's annual cultural events programme, Celtic Connections attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees, and the contribution the festival makes to Scotland's cultural landscape and international reputation, as well as Glasgow's visitor economy, cannot be understated.

Over the course of the next two weeks, 1200 artists will perform at over 300 events, lighting up 25 venues across the city with world-class performances and exclusive collaborations for what is the biggest winter music festival of its kind in Europe. Read more in our media centre here.

The full programme for Celtic Connections 2024 can viewed, and tickets purchased, at www.celticconnections.com.