PREPERATIONS are underway for the world-renowned Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
The festival is set to warm up dark winter nights with it's vibrant programme of live music taking place from Thursday, January 18 until Sunday, February 4.
Venues across the city such as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Barrowland Ballroom, The Pavilion Theatre and Barony Hall will welcome audiences for what will be one of the biggest capacity Celtic Connections to date 30 years after it began in 1994.
READ MORE: Scotland dominates list of most affordable towns to buy home
Over the course of the 18-day event, Glasgow's status as a UNESCO City of Music will be on full display as 1200 musicians perform at more than 300 events, with 11,000 attendees expected to make their way to the city.
Audiences will be able to enjoy workshops, recitals, screenings, dementia-friendly performances, full-scale concerts and intimate gigs across genres of traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul, rock, orchestral, experimental and world music.
READ MORE: SNP to seek urgent question to ministers over 'rotting' nuclear claim
Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: "As we gear up for Celtic Connections 2024, the anticipation is palpable, not just for those of us who have been working behind the scenes, but across Glasgow as a whole.
"We are so looking forward to welcoming folks from near and far – musicians and audiences alike – to the city’s iconic venues for a celebration of music from across the globe.
"To the incredible musicians and dedicated Celtic Connections team, I extend my heartfelt thanks.
"A huge amount of effort goes into a festival of this scale, and everyone has been working extremely hard to make this year’s 18-day event one of our most memorable.
"With a diverse lineup across the city, world premieres and rare performances from some of the most coveted artists in the world, there's truly something special to be uncovered in every corner.
"Here's to an incredible Celtic Connections, and to the joy of music bringing us all together on cold winter nights, we’ll see you all very soon."
You can find out more at www.celticconnections.com.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here