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Lyle Lovett and KT Tunstall among Celtic Connections headliners

Celtic Connections Ciaran Ryan, Michael Biggins and Ciorstaidh Beaton launched the 2025 Celtic Connections festival while standing on the Govan to Partick bridgeCeltic Connections
Ciaran Ryan, Michael Biggins and Ciorstaidh Beaton will be performing at Celtic Connections in 2025 as part of the New Voices strand

American songwriter Lyle Lovett, Scottish indie singer KT Tunstall and Grammy winner Madison Cunningham are among the headliners for the 2025 Celtic Connections festival.

The January event will kick off with "a night of secret surprises" at a special concert based around the musical heritage of Glasgow, while other unique shows include Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis collaborating with an orchestra.

Around 300 events are scheduled for the 18 day festival, with more than 1,200 acts drawn from across 20 countries.

Organisers said it would bring together "international icons with emerging acts to create career-defining performances and never-seen-before collaborations".

Celtic Connections Lyle Lovett, dressed in a black jacket, white shirt and off-white tie, stands in front of a fence and some shrubs, holding an acoustic guitar. Celtic Connections
Lyle Lovett will appear for the first time at the festival

The opening concert on 16 January will be tied to Glasgow 850 - a programme of events marking the city’s 850th birthday, including music, spoken-word, dance and film.

Organisers said it would feature "unique collaborations from well-kent faces, emerging stars of the future, surprise guests and commissioned performances and film".

'Boundless possibilities'

Donald Shaw, the event's creative producer, said: "Celtic Connections went from being primarily a Glasgow festival, to a national festival, to an international flagship event.

"Like many acts on our line-up, we have expanded in size and ambition over the years, drawing inspiration from the old tradition and the boundless possibilities of contemporary music.

"Through it all, Glasgow remains at our heart, so to open the festival in celebration of our city’s artistic clout is incredibly special.

"Audiences can expect a night of secret surprises that we hope will bring a real sense of magic and anticipation to the first night of the festival, setting the tone for the weeks ahead."

Celtic Connections Five members of the band Breabach standing on a wooden floor with their instruments. A woman in the foreground carries a fiddle while two men either side of her have bagpipes. Another man has an acoustic guitar, another a double bass. Celtic Connections
Breabach will perform with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

The festival will also see the first ever gig held at the Emirates Arena, a venue better known for sporting events, when Stornoway folk band Peat and Diesel headline there.

The four-time Grammy winner Lyle Lovett is booked to headline the Royal Concert Hall, while Scottish singer Tunstall will play the same venue with a show marking the 20th anniversary of her debut album Eye to the Telescope.

Cunningham, who took the Best Folk Album honour at the 2023 Grammys, will take to the stage at the Pavilion theatre.

Other shows include Glasgow indie-pop veterans The Bluebells, a collaboration between folk band Breabach and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and world music star Abi Sampa.

Scottish folk singer Karine Polwart will headline the Royal Concert Hall for a gig featuring a 300-strong choir made up of choral singers from across Scotland.

Bailie Annette Christie, who chairs Glasgow Life, said the event would "have something for everyone".

Organisers also revealed there will be discount deals offered for people aged under 26, in an effort to help with the cost of living crisis.