AS we settle into our annual Christmas revelry, it’s impossible not to notice that the affluent Western world is now absolutely packed full of festivals. You cannot move for them. Around every corner, at every point in any calendar, there’s another reason for celebration and the often-tenuous excuse for a knees-up. I’m not complaining, but just stating a fact that we’ve never been better catered for, particularly in music.

Scotland is a country that famously likes to enjoy itself and so counts hundreds of its own events throughout the diary. Some dazzle then disappear, some slowly build up a head of steam over the years, and some are simply unshakeable in their consistency and quality. But what is the secret to longevity? Why do some succeed when so many others fail?

You would never have necessarily banked on an expansive music festival in Glasgow thriving in the month of January now, would you? But against the considerable odds of the post-New Year slump, northerly positioning and highly inclement weather, Celtic Connections has defied logic to become one of the jewels in our live music crown. It grows and grows, with deserved plaudits flooding in from home and abroad.

Knowing your audience is one key to its success I’d warrant. Taking traditional, folk and roots music by the scruff of the neck, when undergoing a major renaissance over 20 years ago, was a fine way to start; and it has never lost sight of its original mission statement. Taking risks is another reason for its widening appeal. Where else would you find such a concentrated selection of genuinely global music in one place, over such a short space of time?

The broadening of its stylistic palette is yet another reason to rejoice. If it was once seen by some as the sole domain of worthy singer-songwriters and virtuoso traditional players, there is so much more to it now. Encompassing contemporary electronica, hip-hop, indie and rock, it admittedly stretches the term "Celtic" to its limits, but rather stresses the "connections" between all types of music. Ask musicians or music fans and they baulk at categorisation.

In 2016, Celtic Connections forges forward once again. As someone who works with music every day, I am always fascinated by the names I don’t recognise on a forthcoming programme. It’s thrilling and proves there’s a world of seemingly endless possibilities I haven’t discovered yet. On the other hand, seeing some of my own favourites in there is also heart-warming. January’s event plays host to a range of acts that perhaps merit closer inspection and larger acclaim. Their inclusion is testament to the festival’s expanding door policy.

If you’re interested in dipping into electronic music, Glasgow’s Errors have released a slew of world-class albums and EPs through Mogwai’s Rock Action label over 11 years, including 2015’s mind-bending Lease Of Life, dabbling further in Tangerine Dream-esque Krautrock excursions and tribal textures. Also worth investigating are playful duo Carbs, who blend synthesiser experimentalism, wonky hip-hop and a large dollop of surreal, Scottish humour into their rather strange pop melange.

If indie-rock is more to your taste, ex-Delgado Emma Pollock performs songs from her excellent new In Search Of Harperfield album on its day of release; recent Foo Fighters’ support act Honeyblood show that a young female duo can create both a grunge-fuelled racket and a score of hook-laden pop melodies; while the emotive, intimate guitar and vocal lines of De Rosa make a welcome live return with their new long-player in the offing.

Unique, left-field singer-songwriters are also in abundance. The three-headed touring beast that is James Yorkston, Withered Hand and Pictish Trail drops into the festival with acoustic gems, collaborative japes and improvised yarns. Others to watch out for include Craig B, formerly of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours, performing his own brand of heartfelt minimalism under his A Mote Of Dust pseudonym; and the maudlin song-craft of Andrew Wasylyk as he inhabits the realms of Scott Walker, Randy Newman and Lee Hazelwood.

Some unlikely international acts on the bill include quirk-rock nerds They Might Be Giants, the bearded funk-soul-brother Matthew E White and the Brazilian troupe Bixiga 70, who outwardly show their love of Fela Kuti and the afrobeat he pioneered. Eclectic is most certainly the word.

Aside from those already aforementioned, I’m delighted to see so many incredibly talented women performing at the festival too. The inimitable, eerie songs of SAY Award winning Kathryn Joseph, Sudanese-Scot and rising star Eliza Shaddad, and bittersweet Edinburgh girl-group Teen Canteen all feature, and are more than worthy of your Christmas money as you sift through the extensive programme.

For the past few years, my own BBC Radio Scotland show has also hosted a showcase at the festival and in 2016 I will once again broadcast live from the CCA with the help of the astonishing talent of Mercury nominated C Duncan, psyche-folk ensemble Trembling Bells and emerging duo JR Green. The free ticket ballot opens on January 4 and the show goes live on Monday, January 18. I hope you can join me.

The addition of some of these more alternative names makes Celtic Connections a richer and more inclusive festival that further bridges the gaps between musical genres, age demographics and all manner of different cultures. It endures not only as a role model to other festivals, but as an example of true vision and co-operation that many could learn from. Well done Celtic Connections – see you again soon.

The Sunday Herald is media partner of Celtic Connections. For full programme details and tickets visit www.celticconnections.com

Vic Galloway presents on BBC Radio Scotland at 9pm Mondays & 11pm Thursdays www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland Tomorrow Monday 21st December he has a Christmas Special with Andrew Wasylyk in session