Breakout Scots star urges young people to discover new artists IRL at Celtic Connections coffee pop ups
Katie Gregson-MacLeod is urging young Glaswegians to discover new music IRL as Celtic Connections brings free pop-up gigs to Patricia's x SLB, Through The House and Black Pine this Saturday.
Article Source: Celtic Connections
Last Updated: 26 November 2025 13:27
SCOTTISH songwriter Katie Gregson-MacLeod may have risen to fame by going viral on TikTok, but she believes the best way to discover music isn’t through an algorithm - it’s in real life.
And this weekend, she’s urging young Glaswegians to do exactly that as the renowned Celtic Connections festival brings free live music to them, with a series of pop-ups across the city's specialty coffee shops.
This Saturday (29 November), Glasgow's annual folk, roots and world music festival will start a little early, with three intimate pop-up gigs in Glasgow coffee shops, featuring emerging artists who’ll be dropping into Patricia’s x SLB (Southside), Through The House (City Centre), and Black Pine (West End).
Punters can expect cosy performances from country group Grayling, award-winning folk trio Fell Line, and indie folk singer-songwriter Mairi Sutherland.
Young people are also invited to join the festival’s Under 26 Community via QR codes in each venue, with everyone who joins being automatically entered to win a Celtic Connections Golden Ticket - which includes a sit-down with Katie Gregson-MacLeod, who will curate a personalised festival gig list based on the winner’s tastes, plus tickets to a range of shows and a meal at an Innis & Gunn Glasgow Taproom.
Gregson-MacLeod, 24, from Inverness, became an overnight success in 2022 when a late-night clip of her song ‘Complex’, filmed at home, unexpectedly exploded on TikTok. The video eventually surpassed 7.2 million views, transforming her life within days and leading to a deal leading to her signing a record deal.
Now, with her debut album freshly completed, she is preparing for her biggest Celtic Connections show yet in 2025 - and she wants to encourage young Scots to come along and experience traditional music for themselves.
Katie said: “Every year the festival brings this huge outpouring of music and people into the city. You can wander around Glasgow and just stumble on something you’ve never heard before. It’s absolutely magic – you can’t replace that feeling with anything else.”
“This opportunity for discovery matters more than ever for young artists and audiences alike. Artists are really struggling right now because of the pervasive nature of the online world and the way we consume music now, so seeing live music is more important than ever.
“With young people going out less, bringing live music into daytime coffee-shop spaces offers an ideal way to welcome new audiences into the festival community.”
In 2022, Katie experienced that shift firsthand when a late-night clip of Complex went viral.
She continued: “Going viral overnight showed me that the most important things in my life and career will always be playing live shows and making music I’m proud of. There’s a connection you can only foster in a room full of people.”
Katie’s 2025 Celtic Connections performance will be the first time she plays her most recent project with her full band and string players.
Celtic Connections is encouraging U26s to drop into one of the four coffee-shop gigs this Saturday, discover new artists for free, and sign up to the Under 26 Community – which will offering insider updates, early announcements and selected discounted tickets for U26s – in-venue for the chance to win the Golden Ticket.
Katie Gregson-Macleod takes to the stage for her first Celtic Connections headline show at the atmospheric Barony Hall on Friday 16 January. Tickets are available via celticconnections.com
Celtic Connections, which is delivered by charity Glasgow Life with support from sponsor Innis & Gunn, runs from 15 January to 1 February 2026.
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