Celtic Connections and is an integral and vibrant part of cultural life in Glasgow, with the economic impact on the city reaching £5.8 million in 2007. The festival actively promotes artistic links and cultural exchange across countries, reinforced by Showcase Scotland which brought 200 music industry delegates from 35 different countries to Scotland looking to book Scottish bands for festivals abroad in 2008. The 2008 festival opened with the Common Ground concert where many of the artists taking part in the event performed together. Donald Shaw, artistic director of the festival, spoke about the future of Celtic Connections as well as the
Festival Interceltique de Lorient Brittany’s folk and rock musicians. There is, of course, much activity on the festival fringe, with musicians giving free performances in many of the city’s bars and pubs every evening until late. The festival organisers have more recently embarked on similar ventures such as the St Patrick's Day concert in Paris, France which attracts a crowd of spectators and the Celtica concert in Nantes, Brittany. Festival Interceltique de Lorient The (French), Gouelioù Etrekeltiek An Oriant (Breton) or Inter-Celtic Festival of Lorient in English, is an annual Celtic festival, located in the city of Lorient, Brittany, France. It was founded in