Celtic Music Magazine: Best Celtic Music 2025 – Fan Voted Top 20

Jan 1, 2026 News

Céad Míle Fáilte

It is your intrepid editor once again. This week we have a new episode of our own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. The other featured podcasts are In Tune with Tradition & Celt in a Twist. We have a list of new albums as well. The articles spotlighted are about literary treats from this year, Cornwall heroes honored by the King, and winter in Brittany. The highlighted festival is the Florida Keys Celtic Festival taking place January 10 – 11, at Marathon Community Park in Marathon, FL. We hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time, Sláinte mhaith!

IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST #740: BEST CELTIC MUSIC 2025 – FAN VOTED TOP 20

  • Kinnfolk, Niamh Dunne, Natalie Padilla, Socks in the Frying Pan, Scottish Fish, Kyle Carey, The Drowsy Lads, Heather Dale, Sheridan Rúitín, The Ciderhouse Rebellion with Molly Donnery, The Gothard Sisters, Screaming Orphans, Doolin', Fialla, Jigjam, Eimear Arkins, Austral, Ed Miller, Arise & Go, Willowgreen
  • A special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Alan Schindler, Brian McReynolds, Bruce, Dan mcDade, Daniel Ide, Dave and Rosie Donnelly, Emma Bartholomew, Gary R Hook, Gerald F Boyle, Jeff A, John Sharkey White, II, Kelly Garrod, Lynda MacNeil, Margreta Silverstone, Marti Meyers, Mike Schock, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Rick Boyce, Shawn Cali

Listen to the Show

IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC: BEST OF 2024 PLAYLIST

  • Every week, Patrons of the Podcast vote in the Celtic Top 20. Those votes are tabulated two weeks later. The most-popular songs are added to these playlists.
  • You can vote for your favorite by following the link in this week's show.

Listen on Youtube
CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20

  • Every year, I publish the Celtic Top 20. This is your pick of the best, most-popular songs of the year. But to make the show great, I need you to vote for your favorite songs in each episode.
  • Just list each of the bands performing those favorite songs to quickly and easily cast your vote.

Vote in the Celtic Top 20

WHAT'S NEW WITH CELTIC MUSIC
& CULTURE ONLINE?

NEW CELTIC ALBUMS

Attn Bands: Go to 4celts.com to submit your band to the podcast.

IN TUNE WITH TRADITION: LEONARD BARRY – IF THAT HAPPENED CONSISTENTLY, IT WOULD DRIVE ME MAD!

  • In this episode of ‘In Tune with Tradition’, Tara engages in a deep conversation with uileann piper Leonard Barry about the significance of Irish music sessions, the etiquette involved, and the importance of respect and listening in traditional music. They explore the dynamics of group sessions, the role of accompaniment instruments, and the need for inclusivity and encouragement for new musicians. The discussion highlights memorable experiences in sessions and the collective joy that music brings to both musicians and listeners alike.

Listen here

UNWRAP THESE LITERARY TREATS FOR CHRISTMAS

  • The Holidays are here, which means time to rest, relax and possibly indulge in some reading.
  • If you’re in the market for some new material, there are plenty of great Irish books released in 2025 that could be just what you are after.
  • Here’s our round up of some of the sweetest literary treats of the year gone by…

To read more, go here!

CELT IN A TWIST: DECEMBER 28, 2025

  • It's a look and listen back to our favorite picks of 2025! Join Patricia Fraser for a reprise of the best in contemporary Celtic music counted down in chronological order. Happy New Year (Bliadhna Mhath Ur) from Celt In A Twist!

Listen to the Show

COMMUNITY HEROES FROM CORNWALL HONOURED BY KING

  • People in Cornwall have been honoured by His Majesty the King in the 2025 New Year Honours list.
  • They include Brenda Wright, from Wadebridge, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) by King Charles III in recognition of her community gardening work in the village of St Issey.
  • Ms Wright, 83, co-founded St Issey in Bloom in 2010 to improve the appearance of the village, as well as founding a year-round gardening club at the local primary school to teach people gardening skills.

To read more, go here!

WINTER IS WHEN BRITTANY IS AT ITS MOST BEAUTIFUL

  • When I was little, we spent two weeks on a family camping trip in Carnac, Brittany. It rained for a fortnight. Many of our neighbours were flooded out – something I found pretty amusing as a nine-year-old, looking down from the lofty heights of our trailer tent. It was June.
  • I’ve just come back from a trip to Brittany, and the weather was infinitely better than that summer, when I’d watched bedraggled neighbours wrestling with wet canvas as though they were at Glastonbury.

To read more, go here!

FLORIDA KEYS CELTIC FESTIVAL

  • The Florida Keys Celtic Festival features family-friendly Celtic rock and Traditional music, Irish & Scottish Dancing, captivating Pipes and Drums, and skilled sheepherding dogs. Families can enjoy the Children’s Glen with games, face painting and fun activities. We offer delicious Celtic (and Keys) foods and crafts vendors. Highland Athletics, the original Strongman sport, features a sanctioned Women’s Highland Athletics Competition on Saturday. For a wee bit of Sunday Funday, locals can participate in our “Try It” events to see if they can take on the Highland Games.
  • Some of the entertainers you will see are Albannach, The Screaming Orphans, Piper Jones Band, & Sean Heely Celtic Band.

Find out more information

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHILE LISTENING?

You can send a comment or a picture of what you're doing. You can also send a photo from one of your trips to a Celtic nation or anywhere around the globe.

Slainte!

Todd Wiley (he/him) & Marc Gunn (he/him), The Celtfather

January 1, 2026

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About Todd Wiley

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