Celtic Connections programme announced

Celtic Connections has announced its programme of folk, roots, world, traditional, indie, blues & jazz for its forthcoming festival that happens in 20 venues around Glasgow from Thursday 17th January until Sunday 3rd February 2013.

Highlights include:-

• England has been invited by Glasgow music festival Celtic Connections to be their international partner in 2013 with a special showcase with Bellowhead, Sam Carter, Bella Hardy, Lucy Ward, Spiro, and Tom McConville Band.
• Acts will include Cowboy Junkies, The Mavericks, Little Feat, The Animals, the Be Good Tanyas, the Old Crow Medicine Show, African singer Salif Keita, flamenco star Vicente Amigo, Irish singer Glen Hansard, Anais Mitchell and rising Portugese fado singer Carminho.
• Among other stars from the first event returning to the festival are Carlos Nunez, Paul Brady and Duncan Chisholm, who played on the opening night of the first festival in 1994. He will be among the artists appearing at Kelvingrove.
• Mary Chapin Carpenter has been announced as headline act for the Transatlantic Sessions.
• Home grown acts include Dougie MacLean, Karine Polwart, Roddy Hart, Capercaillie, Manran, Mike Heron, Aly Bain and Rura.
• The festival will mark its 20th-year landmark with an opening concert reuniting many of those who have performed at the event over the two decades, including singers Julie Fowlis, Eddi Reader and Dick Gaughan, as well as the Scottish Power Band and a string ensemble led by Scottish Chamber Orchestra violinist Greg Lawson.

Celtic Connections 2013 has an adventurous programme embracing Celtic music's connections with musical genres and cultural traditions from across the globe. The festival brings thousands of artists to Glasgow to perform more than 100,000 concertgoers over 18 days.

Donald Shaw, Artistic Director of Celtic Connections, said, "For the 20th anniversary we will be celebrating the artists and ethos that have made the festival such a success. We have some big names coming along to help us celebrate in January but there will also be some unique collaborative performances. At no other festival do musicians embrace the opportunity to collaborate with acts from different countries and musical genres quite like they do at Celtic Connections. As ever in our 20th year trad and folk will be at the heart of the festival but other musical genres such as world, jazz, blues, electro, Americana and Country will also be showcased."

New venues for the 2013 festival include the city's museum and mark gallery to help mark the festival's 20th year. Kelvingrove will play host to several events, including a huge Burns Night celebration. The festival will also return to the Barrowland Ballroom after a break of several years.

For an easy-to-read breakdown of the acts confirmed, click here.

For more detailed information, and to book tickets for any event, please see the Celtic Connections website. Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow morning.

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