BBC Scotland to bring ‘seasonal cheer’ for Christmas and New Year

BBC Radio Scotland highlights include Who’s that Girl?, marking the 70th birthday of Annie Lennox on Christmas Day. Grant Stott explores her back catalogue, featuring music from The Tourists, Eurythmics and her solo records, plus archive interviews.

In Christmas with Cathy and Tony on Christmas Eve, Cathy MacDonald and Tony Kearney share festive reflections on the theme of Christmas Through the Ages. It’s followed in the evening by a Christmas Service which takes listeners into Christmas morning with reflections, choral music and carols from Douglas Academy in Milngavie, Glasgow.

The Quay Sessions presents Del Amitri in Concert features the band’s show, recorded live at Glasgow’s Barrowland, as part of their 2024 winter tour. Introduced by Roddy Hart, the set will feature hits from a career that spans over 30 years.

Billy Differ plays the biggest songs from the musicals in A Night at the Musicals: All Singing, All Dancing. From classics to current favourites – expect the tunes everyone knows and loves. Special guests include Alan Cumming and Bonnie Langford.

In Capercaillie at 40, Gary Innes interviews band members about their memories and highlights from the last four decades, finding out why they are still so beloved across the world.

Michelle McManus hosts Radio Scotland’s Christmas Concert, an hour packed with festive songs and cheer. Michelle’s joined by both The Glasgow Youth Choir and Rock Choir for some of the season’s favourite songs.

The festivities will stay upbeat with the best sounds from special editions of Get it On with Bryan Burnett, Grant Stott’s Vinyl Collective and Your Requests with Gary Innes. There are also two other festive traditions – Christmas Classics and BBC SSO at the Movies with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performing seasonal songs and orchestral favourites.

And there’s an invitation to start off 2025 in the sparkling company of Greg Hemphill and Julie Wilson Nimmo in Jules and Greg’s New Year. They’ll share stories of New Years past, and who they’ve met along the way, as well as playing their favourite music.

BBC ALBA is set to bring together some of trad music’s biggest names to celebrate Hogmanay 2024 for the annual live event, Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire. Scottish supergroup, Mànran, along with other well-known trad music acts including Royal National Mòd 2024 gold-medallist, Alice MacMillan, have been announced in the line-up at this year’s event, broadcasting from Nairn Community and Arts Centre in the Highlands.

The iconic Hogmanay show will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA and worldwide on Radio nan Gàidheal, with Cathy MacDonald and Niall Iain Macdonald hosting the cèilidh.