Celtic Connections Launch 2025
Celtic Connections Launch with musicians, Paul McKenna and Aileen Reid.
Renowned winter festival Celtic Connections, in partnership with Innis & Gunn, opens today in Glasgow. The 18-day spectacular is set to banish the winter blues over the coming 18 days, starting with tonight’s Opening Concert celebrating 850 years of Glasgow with a secret line up.
Celtic Connections Launch with musicians, Paul McKenna and Aileen Reid.
Renowned winter festival Celtic Connections, in partnership with Innis & Gunn, opens today in Glasgow. The 18-day spectacular is set to banish the winter blues over the coming 18 days, starting with tonight’s Opening Concert celebrating 850 years of Glasgow with a secret line up.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hi, my name is Paul McKenna. I'm a singer-songwriter from Glasgow.
00:03I'm performing as part of the opening concert and doing a couple of songs there.
00:10And then I've got my own show on the 23rd at the Piping Centre.
00:13And then I'm joining another couple of bands on the 25th.
00:17I'm singing alongside Malinky and also with EMAR and that's both on the 25th.
00:22So yeah, busy couple of weeks.
00:23It's been a very important part of my career as a musician.
00:27Probably some of the best gigs I've ever done.
00:29I've been here and probably in this room from traditional Scottish, Irish music.
00:35You know, folk singers, songwriters, world music from everywhere really.
00:41It's just wide and if you have one glance through the programme, you'll just see how varied it is.
00:50I think the first time I was involved was 2008 or 2009, something like that.
00:56So I've done a few of these over the years.
00:59But it's always great to be involved.
01:01Everybody wants to, if they could, play every year.
01:06Even for bands from all over in our folk world,
01:11it's seen as one of the pinnacles to get to perform at.
01:15So very, very important.
01:17You know, when you're from Glasgow, it's always nice to play a home show.
01:22And there's usually a few more people there.
01:26That you know when you might get other places.
01:28So yeah, it's always Glasgow audiences are some of the best.
01:32So from really small 100 seat places to in here.
01:38And like the fruit market and places like that.
01:40The Barrowlands and stuff.
01:41Some great gigs happening there, which is great.
01:45So yeah, so many bands and so many venues.
01:49Just so much to see.
01:51People come from all over to experience this festival.
01:54It is a special one.
01:56So I'm Aileen Reid and I play in a band called Canaris Quintet.
01:58At Celtic Connections 2025 this year, we are playing at the opening concert.
02:03We've got some incredible fourth year RCS students who are joining us for it.
02:08So that's going to be mint.
02:10And then tomorrow, the 17th, Friday 17th of January, we are in the Barrowlands.
02:17With two of my favourite bands in the entire world.
02:21Four Men A Dog from Ireland and Metclair.
02:25Almost sold out, but I think there's a couple of tickets left,
02:27but it's going to be a total career highlight for us.
02:30So we're buzzing about that.
02:32On Sunday, the 26th of January, I am involved in a concert in the City Halls.
02:39It's called the St. Rocks Extravaganza.
02:41St. Rocks is a music organisation in Glasgow from Royston.
02:46A cultus branch, which is an organisation of Irish music,
02:51which is where I learned music,
02:55along with many, many, many other people that you'll have heard of over the years,
02:59involved in Celtic Connections.
03:00Not only will we be playing on stage,
03:02we will be performing a little bit of our marching band,
03:08which we are now reigning world champions.
03:12So we're currently trying to choreograph that, getting through the City Halls somehow.
03:15So buzzing about that as well.
03:17So Celtic Connections, as an artist from Glasgow,
03:22I could actually burst with pride that this is in my hometown.
03:26I grew up coming to Celtic Connections.
03:27It was always the highlight of everyone's year.
03:31Scotland in particular, in January, is a very dream place,
03:34but to have this to look forward to,
03:36not just for artists, not just for people involved in festival,
03:38but for anyone wanting to have a bit of joy
03:42and have something to look forward to in January,
03:44it is an absolutely essential part of life.
03:50Also, as an artist, as a musician, it's a total lifeline for us.
03:55You're sort of under pressure to pay the bills somehow,
03:58and you don't know when the next thing's coming in.
04:01But to have Celtic Connections as a pretty prestigious festival,
04:07it's a real lifeline for many, many, many musicians.
04:10And there's no way this could happen
04:12without the support of everybody buying tickets and merch.
04:17That's the main way that people earn these days,
04:20because people don't buy music quite as much as used to.
04:25There's no record labels to fund making music happen.
04:29There's no record labels to pay your wage.
04:31But do you know what?
04:32Say when you get up on stage and you make something happen,
04:35and you see people smiling, or you see tears in people's eyes
04:38because it's been something that's really emotional,
04:40or it makes it all totally worth it,
04:43and then you go, this is why we do this.