Celtic Woman in Hartford

About Celtic Woman

Celtic Woman started in 2004 as a concert project that somehow became a thing. The original lineup featured Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, and Máire Brennan, all with actual classical training, which explains why the arrangements hit different. They took traditional Celtic music—jigs, reels, ballads from the Irish tradition—and smoothed them into something that worked for people who'd never heard a bodhran before. Tracks like Sirius became their crossover moment, that one song your mom had on a compilation CD. They've cycled through multiple lineups since the beginning, which is just what touring groups do. The whole thing rides on the tension between authenticity and accessibility: they're good musicians playing old material in a concert hall setting, but they're also a machine that's released about fifteen albums for the direct-to-TV and cruise ship circuits. If you like string arrangements that don't feel cheesy and vocals that are actually trained, they're worth knowing about.

Polished concert hall energy with an older, quiet audience that actually knows when to clap. Lots of sustained applause rather than screaming. The production is slick—lighting designs, arranged sets. People go to sit down and listen, not mosh. Very orderly.

Known for Sirius, The Blessing, Scarborough Fair, Fugitive, Alive

Celtic Woman in Hartford News

• Upcoming concerts: ZZ Top, Eric Church and more MassLive.com · Oct 20, 2019
• Celtic Woman brings ‘Ancient Land Tour’ to Hartford’s Bushnell The Middletown Press · Mar 27, 2019
• Celtic Woman brings ‘Ancient Land Tour’ to Hartford’s Bushnell San Antonio Express-News · Mar 16, 2019
• Celtic Woman – and ‘Ancient Land’ – New England-bound in March bostonirish.com · Jan 30, 2019
• Exclusive Premiere: Watch Celtic Woman Perform 'Homeland' at a Majestic Castle in County Wexford, Ireland Parade · Dec 5, 2018

Live Music in Hartford

Hartford's music scene skews toward classic rock and hip-hop venues, but there's a solid contingent of folk and traditional music fans in the area. Irish and Celtic cultural events have maintained steady followings in Connecticut, and the city's mid-size venues like the Bushnell are well-suited to touring acts that bring their own production. Celtic Woman lands in decent company here.

Hartford road trip to see Celtic Woman?

Stay in the West End neighborhood—it's got actual character and puts you near some decent restaurants. Head to Saluto for Italian that doesn't oversell itself, or The Sycamore for New American food done properly. Before the show, walk through Bushnell Park and check out the Elizabeth Park conservatory if the weather cooperates. After, grab a drink at Vaughan's Public House if you want to decompress somewhere that feels lived-in rather than designed. The Wadsworth Atheneum is worth an hour if you have time to kill during the day.