Scottish Live Music Highlights: January 2026

Regular gig series kick off the new year with a bang courtesy of The Hug & Pint’s First Footing (5-14 Jan) and King Tut’s New Year’s Revolutions (2-25 Jan). At the former, head for Peach Crumb’s lo-fi pop (9 Jan) or James LeBaigue’s sparse indie-pop (14 Jan), while at King Tut's you can catch alt-folk outfit Curiosity Shop's gorgeous vintage-tinged harmonies (16 Jan) or KuleeAngee's party-starting beats alongside support from Bodysystem, Pleasure Trail and Saint Sappho (17 Jan).

A focal point of January, of course, is Celtic Connections. Taking over a multitude of venues across Glasgow from 15 January to 1 February, they’re committed to “making January sound better”. While the opening weekend sees indie-folk and pop artist Katie Gregson-Macleod play her first headline show for the festival at The Barony Hall (16 Jan), you’re spoiled for choice on the 17th: M. John Henry brings his latest solo album to The Glad Cafe, Pictish Trail celebrates Life Slime at St Luke’s (support from Callum Easter and Isa Gordon), nonet Megalichen bring their experimental alt-folk to Òran Mór (support from CLR Theory) and Amal Kaawash brings Songs from the Palestinian Tradition to City Halls. On the 18th, Kathryn Joseph and Lomond Campbell play Òran Mór, with support from Dundee artist SHHE.

On Wednesday 21 January, Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys plays Mackintosh Church; two distinctive voices in roots music – Isle of Skye smallpipes virtuoso Brìghde Chaimbeul and American multi-instrumentalist Shazhad Ismaily – will come together at St Luke’s; and Sound of Young Scotland nominees Tarran will fuse together folk, funk, blues and jazz in the Strathclyde Suite at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Winner of the Scots Trad Music Awards’ Album of the Year for their stunning record araon, Scottish Gaelic folk trio Sian (22 Jan) will play The Barony Hall with an extended lineup of musicians as featured on the album. The 24th will see Glasgow-based mokusla's haunting Irish electronic dream-pop take centre stage at The Glad Cafe, while Aberdeen’s Fiona Soe Paing will bring her hypnotic AV show Sand, Silt, Flint to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s Strathclyde Suite on the 27th, with support from Scots singer Quinie who’ll be joined by her full band for the occasion.

Winner of the 2025 Sound of Young Scotland Award, the inimitable Alice Faye plays Citizens Theatre on the 28th before two big album launch shows take over the festival’s final Friday (30 Jan); Hen Hoose Collective launch The Twelve with a special show at Tramway featuring all 12 of its contributors (read more about this in the December issue) and Inyal celebrate the release of Fathoms, their latest LP combining Gaelic folk and electronica.

Elsewhere in Scottish music, Biffy Clyro play an enormous show as part of their Futique Tour at OVO Hydro (21 Jan) and The Just Joans celebrate the release of Romantic Visions of Scotland with shows at Glasgow’s Mono (23 Jan) and Edinburgh’s Wee Red Bar (30 Jan). In celebration of Burns Night, in Glasgow you’ll find Byrnes Night at King Tut’s (21 Jan), with a touring house band featuring members of Black Country, New Road, Fat Dog, Goat Girl, Clementine March, The Golden Dregs and more, while in Edinburgh Burns Baby Burns! takes over Port of Leith Distillery with live music planned from Valtos as well as a ceilidh. Rounding out the month in Edinburgh will be the inaugural Cowgate Block Party in, you guessed it, the Cowgate. Taking over Sneaky Pete’s, Legends and The Bongo Club, you'll be able to bounce between the three venues all day on the 31st, enjoying live music from the likes of Bikini Body, Sarah/Shaun, Fourth Daughter, Gurry Wurry, Doss and loads more.