The 20th Celtic Connections kicks off this Thursday for 18 days of music from some of the biggest names in folk, roots, world, tradition, indie, blues and jazz. This year’s festival will celebrate the ethos and artists that have helped shaped what is now a global phenomenon. There are a few updates listed below for Celtic Connections 2013. 

NEW SUPPORT ACTS ANNOUNCED 

Johnnyswim will be supporting the Old Crow Medicine Show at the Barrowland Ballroom on Friday 1 February. The stunning and original sound of this vocal duo (Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez) began in 2005 when the two met and began writing together, drawing from any corner of popular music that pleased them, from folk and soul to indie-pop and R&B. To these songs they gave their show-stopping voices, and JOHNNYSWIM was born. No matter the story of a song or its musical influence, each tune burns with a spirit and passion that has this singer/songwriter team turning heads in the music world. 

SUPPORT ACT CANCELLATION 

Lucas Santtana has cancelled his European Tour and will no longer be supporting Mulatu Astatke in the Old Fruitmarket on Sunday 20th January. New support act will be announced soon. 

CHANGE OF VENUE 

The Beatstalkers concert on Friday 2nd February will now be taking place in the Arches and not the Barrowland Ballroom. 

NEW ARTISTS ADDED TO LINE UP 

New artists added to the Songs of Struggle concert on 29 January. Special guest Rab Noakes, with Fraser Speirs will be joining the line-up. 

FESTIVAL CLUB VENUE ANNOUNCED 

The Celtic Connections 2013 festival club will be upstairs in Walkabout, just beside the Concert Hall. The club will from Thursday to Sunday during the three weeks of the festival.  

THE HOUSE OF SONG VENUE ANNOUNCED 

The House of Song will be at the Holiday Inn (across  the road from the Concert Hall) on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Entry for the House of Song is on a first come, first served basis. ! 

FREE TALKS

The University of the Highlands and Islands have organised free talks on Wednesday 30th January and Thursday 31st January. Wednesday’s talk is entitled The Origins of Our Tongue and language specialists will come together for a lively evening of discussion and debate about the origins of Scotland’s indigenous languages. Chaired by comedian and frequent television and radio contributor, Susan Morrison, this evening of quick-fire wit and wisdom, featuring four eminent academics confined in one room, is not to be missed.

Thursday night’s talk is Rising Tides: Climate change and the loss of our coastal heritage. Scotland has Europe's longest coastline, battered each winter by storm force winds. Recent events in New York show how vulnerable our settlements can be to both storms and storm surge that are predicted to increase in both severity and frequency. Scotland's heritage is both coastal and at risk. Using Orkney as a case study, where one third of all known sites are threatened, we will travel, island by island, looking at the loss, and showcasing some of the potential for investment. It will be presented by Julie Gibson of the University of the Highlands and Islands' Department of Archaeology. Accommpanied by music composed by students from the BA Applied Music degree at the University of the Highlands and Islands.