IT has been an exciting, if exhausting, three weeks in Glasgow, but the greatest winter festival of its kind has drawn to a close after yet another year of excellence crossing a variety of genres – and drawing around 130,000 who attended 300 events across 29 stages.

“The end of the festival is always a bittersweet moment,” said Celtic Connections’s creative producer Donald Shaw.

“Though it’s sad when the music stops, it’s also great to look back on such a successful event as this one, which has brought together so many talented performers and presented so many dynamic and creative collaborations. Feedback from our audiences and musicians has been fantastic.

“Programming an event on this scale is a huge logistical operation and after all the months of planning and organisation by such a dedicated team, it’s been wonderful to experience the festival in full swing.

“Bring on 2021!’’