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
Celtic Fiddle Festival group is still playing and recording. Cunningham, Burke, and LeMaitre were accompanied by guitarist John McGann on that first tour and the first album, "The Celtic Fiddle Festival", was released on Green Linnet Records. The sixth album by the Celtic Fiddle Festival, "Live in Brittany", was recorded in Jan 2013 and is scheduled for release in April on the Loftus Music label. During the group's 20 yr career its accompanists have included Breton guitarist Soig Siberil, Scottish guitar player Tony McManus, Ged Foley from the Battlefield Band and Patrick Street, Nicolas Quemener from Brittany. Each Celtic Fiddle Festival concert begins