Episode 1

Mary Ann Kennedy live from Glasgow at the world's biggest winter music festival. The first of four Late Night Sessions, with a top line-up of festival artists and also recorded concert highlights.

Celtic Connections is held in 20 venues over 18 days with 300 events taking place throughout the whole festival, involving over 2100 musicians from 26 countries. Scots and Irish celtic music is at the centre of the festival, but it has always embraced the music of the celtic cultures of the USA, Canada, France and Spain, together with the closely connected cultures of Scandinavia and eastern Europe. In recent years the Festival has also connected with traditions across Africa and Asia. The concerts range from the most traditional to the most experimental, all brought together in the context of one of the world's liveliest folk cultures, with a never-ending stream of young Scottish musicians who are reinventing their own traditions for their own time.

For the past three years, World on 3 has hosted some of the Festival's Late Night Sessions at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. These start late, and finish early, usually well into the next day. Bands often come straight from a concert in a main venue to play at the Sessions. World on 3 hosts the Late Night Sessions for four nights during the final week of the Festival, from Tuesday 31st January until Friday 3rd February.

The line-up of the Late Night Sessions is always kept secret until the day of the event.