Celtic Connections intends to run a ‘hybrid’ online version of the festival.
The news comes one week after the festival was forced to cancel most of its in-person shows due to ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 safety measures in Scotland. A new programme will be published next week.
Performances will be shown online with some screened to smaller audiences inside Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. A small number of larger-scale shows will be rescheduled for later this year.
Covid restrictions in Scotland currently mean that no more than 200 people are allowed at indoor seated events.
A statement from the Celtic Connections organisers said: “Although the festival has not been able to return on the scale initially planned, and the majority of programmed shows have been impacted in some way, we are still working extremely hard to stage as many performances as we can in 2022.
“We are continuing to engage with the Scottish Government regarding in-person shows due to take place from January 24 onwards and will be able to confirm our approach in line with any ongoing restrictions following the First Minister’s update next week.”
Last year’s festival was held online due to the pandemic.
The National Piping Centre’s schools in Virginia, USA and in Germany – Bruggen and Homburg – will not go ahead this year due to the ongoing pandemic situation.
