Boston Celtic Music Festival Returns Jan. 14–17

I want to flag this one early, because it's the kind of weekend that's worth planning around. Passim's Boston Celtic Music Festival — BCMFest — is back for its 24th year, January 14–17, 2027, at venues across Cambridge and Somerville, including Club Passim, Somerville Theatre, Crystal Ballroom, Arts at the Armory, The Rockwell, and Dragon's Lair. Tickets and the full lineup are on sale now at passim.org/bcmfest, and I'd grab them sooner rather than later.

Four days of traditional and contemporary Celtic music and dance, reflecting Greater Boston's deep connections to Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Quebecois, and other Celtic cultures. This year's lineup features internationally acclaimed acts including Gnoss, Open the Door for Three, and Cassie & Maggie, alongside full-time professional touring acts and beloved local session musicians — performers from across generations and continents. Forsyth, this year's Brian O'Donovan Legacy Artist grant recipient, will perform multiple times across the weekend.

Here's how the weekend runs. Thursday, January 14 opens with the First Round concert at Club Passim at 7 p.m. — Pine Tree Flyers, Hanneke Cassel, and Nathan Gourley, Laura Feddersen & David McKindley-Ward — and the Boston Urban Ceilidh at Crystal Ballroom at 7:30 p.m., with contra dancing and a Scottish ceilidh, all dances taught and no experience needed. Friday brings Roots and Branches at Club Passim at 7 p.m. and Gnoss at Arts at the Armory at 8 p.m. Saturday is Dayfest, over six hours of music across Davis Square from 11 a.m., then the Nightcap finale at Somerville Theatre that evening. Sunday wraps up with workshops at Club Passim at 11 a.m.

"For 24 years, Passim's Boston Celtic Music Festival has been a cornerstone of Boston's vibrant traditional music scene," says festival director Summer McCall. I couldn't agree more — this festival is what Passim is all about, bringing a community together around music that matters. If you go to one thing in January, make it this. Full lineup, schedule, and tickets at passim.org/bcmfest.