MORE than 100,000 attendances were recorded at this year’s Celtic Connections music festival, which drew to a close last night.
Performances from some of the world’s top artists were showcased across the festival’s unforgettable 30th edition, which ran for 18 days.
It was the first-time since 2020 that the Glasgow-based extravaganza had operated without Covid-related restrictions. It staged more than 300 events with more than 100,000 attendances at 25 venues across the city, from Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to the Mackintosh Church in the west end and Tramway in the south side. There were also over 10,000 attendances at free events.
The festival paid homage to the last 30 years and to the artists who have been involved with the event since its beginning, as well as providing a platform for future generations of talent.
Highlights included the 30th opening concert, a three-hour celebration. Roisiin Reimagined saw award-winning Irish singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and the Irish Chamber Orchestra team up for an exciting new project Another notable performance came from Rise Kagona, the founder, lead guitarist and the only remaining member of the mega-successful Zimbabwean rock band The Bhundu Boys. Maija Kauhanen combined her expressive voice with Finnish kantele when she performed along with talented accordion player and composer Andrew Waite.
Malian husband-and-wife duo Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia took to the stage with their blend of desert blues, Afro-pop, rock, disco and hip-hop and Man of the Minch, one of the most exciting names in Scottish folk music performed tracks from his debut album, The Tide is at the Turning.
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