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BCMFest

Boston Celtic Music Festival 2025

January 16-19, 2025

Featuring DERVISH

Brian O’Donovan Legacy Artist: Rakish

Locations:
Club Passim, Somerville Theatre, Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, and The Rockwell

FESTIVAL PASS available for the Boston Urban Ceilidh, Dayfest, & Nightcap with Dervish.
General Admission seating in a specific ground-level section available to Festival Pass holder only. Details at check-out.

Individual tickets below

  • Note: No service fees will be added to the ticket price when purchasing tickets at the Somerville Theatre Box Office for the Ceilidh, Dayfest, Nightcap, or Festival Pass. View box office hours and location HERE.

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First Round
Thursday, January 16; 7pm at Club Passim – three groups, one concert, one ticket
TICKETS
Ed Pearlman, Jacqueline Schwab & Laura Scott
The Adam Hendey Band
Hanneke Cassel

Roots & Branches
Friday, January 17; 7pm at Club Passim – three groups, one concert, one ticket
TICKETS
Elias Cardoso Band
Magpie: 5-part vocal harmony group with Kate Knudsvig, Kat Wallace, Helen Kuhar, Erin Hogan, & Jacqui Armbruster 
Rakish

Boston Urban Ceilidh
Friday, January 17; 7:30pm at Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre
TICKETS
7:30 – Contra Dance with caller Will Mentor and Calico
O’Riley Irish Dance – 20 minute dance performance
9:00 – Scottish Ceilidh with caller Summer McCall and Caroline Dressler, Adam Hendey, Campbell Webster, & Simon Lace

Dayfest
Saturday, January 18; 11am – 5pm at Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, The Rockwell
TICKETS
Crystal Ballroom:
12pm – Copley Street with Owen Marshall
1pm – Casey & Molly
2pm – Marty Frye, Sarah Collins, David McKinley-Ward
3pm – Matt & Shannon Heaton
4pm – Scottish Fish

The Burren Backroom:
11am – Isabel Oliart and Friends
11:45am – Rose Clancy Trio
12:30pm – Sarah Ann Hajjar and Allan Chiasson
1:15pm – Clare Fraser Trio
2pm – The Simon Lace Trio
2:45pm – Coyne Family Band
3:30pm – Fox River
4:15pm – Torrin Ryan & Amy Law

The Rockwell:
12pm – Mrs. Wilberforce
12:45pm – Jen O’Shea
1:30pm – Riko Matsuoka
2:15pm – * Tea time * Sponsored by Mem Tea with storyteller Joe Keane
3pm – Helen & Rose
3:45pm – Clara Rose & Raphaella Hero feat. Adam Hendey
4:30pm – Ken Perlman with Janine Randall

The Burren Front Room Sessions: (timing coming soon)
Slow Session: Clare Fraser & Helen Kuhar
Song Session: Archie Stapleton & Ailsa McFayden
Irish Session: Bríd, Katie, and Pádraig O’Donnell
Scottish Session: TBA

Nightcap with DERVISH
Saturday, January 18; 8pm at Somerville Theatre
TICKETS
As part of the Nightcap Finale, BCMFest will open the night with a 30 minute “An Honorary Moment for Brian O’Donovan” to remember the countless contributions Brian made to the Boston Celtic music community and beyond. His passing last fall has been felt keenly by the Celtic music community. Taking part in the moment will be Brian’s wife Lindsay O’Donovan, Hanneke Cassel, members of Dervish, and the 2025 BCMFest Brian O’Donovan Legacy Artist grant recipient, Rakish. The night will continue with a joyous concert from Dervish with occasional local collaborations.

Live Music Brunch
Sunday, January 19 at The Burren
FREE
The Burren Backroom Series will present The Seán Heely Band as part of the BCMFest weekend for their brunch and an afternoon show. Ticket link for the afternoon show coming soon.

Ticket Links

The 22nd annual Boston Celtic Music Festival, known as BCMFest, returns to Club Passim, Somerville Theatre, Crystal Ballroom, The Burren and The Rockwell January 16-19, 2025. Presented by Passim, a Cambridge-based non-profit that supports a vibrant music community through Club Passim, the Passim School of Music, artist grants and outreach initiatives.

The 2025 festival will showcase Greater Boston’s deep tradition of music, song and dance from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Quebecois and other Celtic communities. BCMFest features acts that are traditional as well as others that draw on contemporary sounds and ideas; full-time, professional touring acts as well as local session musicians; highlighting performers from across the generations.

Thank you to our 2025 sponsors Belhaven Brewery, West Cork Whiskey, and Mangers Cider whose sponsorship will directly support the local artists at this year’s festival.

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– Thursday’s First Round concert provides a night of the more traditional sounds of Celtic music in Boston taking place at Club Passim with three individual groups in one concert setting. Artists and ticket link listed below.

– Friday’s Roots and Branches concert presents a taste of the dynamic sounds and different styles to be heard in Boston’s Celtic music community at Club Passim. With rooted elements in Celtic, this evening’s music will branch out into different territories that share commonalities such as Quebecois, Scandinavian, New England, and more.

– Friday’s Boston Urban Ceilidh (kālē) features participatory and social dances from the Cape Breton and Scottish traditions, all with live music. No experience is necessary – all dances will be taught and led by an in-time caller. This evening event will be taking place at The Crystal Ballroom in Davis Square.

– Saturday’s Dayfest offers over six hours of entertainment, from mid-morning until 5 pm. Artists will be presenting all manner of Celtic music, from classic traditional to contemporary sounds. All events will take place in Davis Sq. in Somerville at The Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, and The Rockwell.

– Saturday’s Nightcap will be a culminating celebration of Celtic music with a featured headlining act. This year’s Nightcap will be taking place at the beautiful 900 capacity Somerville Threatre in Davis Square.

– Sunday’s Live Music Brunch at The Burren will feature a Celtic group as part of the BCMFest weekend.

 

For specific questions, please contact Festival Director Summer McCall at bcmfest@passim.org.

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