By Fiona Shepherd

Published 1st Jan 2024, 11:44 BST

Winter There’s barely time to pack away the Christmas decorations before Celtic Connections hits Glasgow with hot ticket appearances by artists as diverse as Northern Irish composer Hannah Peel and roots rock veteran Bruce Hornsby. Over in Edinburgh, Burns and Beyond goes quite some way beyond with Assembly Rooms shows by Callum Easter, Anna Meredith and Nadine Shah.

Before January is out, punk pop veterans Green Day will have released their 14th studio album, Saviors, trailed by single The American Dream Is Killing Me and live renditions of new song Look Ma, No Brains! Arguably, not a departure then. In the ongoing absence of any new Radiohead transmissions, Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood’s offshoot The Smile release their second album Wall of Eyes prior to a spring tour and, no less hotly anticipated by some, Glaswegian troubadour Dylan John Thomas releases his self-titled debut.

Equally beloved Scots indie strummers The Snuts return with their third album, Millennials, released on their own Happy Artists label. Some might call this a dig at their previous major label but we couldn’t possibly comment.

Sharleen Spiteri of Texas PIC: Suhaimi Abdullah / Getty Images

Also in February, R&B superstar Usher marks the release of Coming Home, his first new album in eight years with a Superbowl halftime performance. Brits Rising Star winners The Last Dinner Party justify the hype (or not) with their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, reggae icon Lee “Scratch” Perry’s final album, King Perry, is posthumously released and Wings’ Band on the Run is re-issued to mark its golden jubilee.

Pick of the winter gigs is Hifi Sean and David McAlmont celebrating their glorious 2023 collaboration, Happy Ending, at St Luke’s (8 February) and ABC looking back at their enduring Lexicon of Love album at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall (9 February).

Spring Some big hitters and cult favourites break long silences in the spring. The Libertines’ All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade is their first new album in nine years, Lenny Kravitz goes double album crazy on Blue Electric Light, the mighty Gossip return for the first time in over a decade with the Rick Rubin-produced Real Power and The Zutons have been working with Nile Rodgers and Lightning Seeds’ Iain Broudie on The Big Decider, their first album in 16 years.

The Jesus and Mary Chain are 40 years young and still releasing new music – their latest album, Glasgow Eyes, is released on 8 March and they play the Usher Hall on 27 March. Camera Obscura are touring once again, with a hometown show at Barrowland on 11 May and the promise of their first new music in ten years.

Fresh from celebrating the 25th anniversary of Philophobia, Arab Strap have readied a new album for Rock Action Records, due in May. According to frontman Aidan Moffat, it is more upbeat musically, angry lyrically and shockingly only has one song about sex.

The big names flock to the Hydro with gigs by the diverse likes of Judas Priest, Ja Rule and Jason Derulo – and that’s just the J’s. Marti Pellow reprises his splendid orchestral performance of Wet Wet Wet’s debut album Popped In Souled Out on 16 March, Simple Minds slay on 29 and 30 March and Take That take up residence from 3-5 May.

For a more boutique experience, the Knockengorroch Festival whips up another world ceilidh in Galloway (23-26 May), and Scotland Sings Bacharach in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Perth with contributors including Justin Currie, Georgia Cecile and Karine Polwart. Meanwhile, Bacharach’s first lady, Dionne Warwick, plays her own Royal Concert Hall show in Glasgow on 9 May, the intoxicating Say She She and Jane’s Addiction light up opposite ends of the M8 and the frankly disturbing Residents are not to be missed at Glasgow’s City Halls on 2 April.

Summer Another summer of enormo-gigs awaits, not least Taylor Swift’s Eras extravaganza at Murrayfield (7 June) – forgive us for being far more excited about the return of Girls Aloud in Aberdeen and Glasgow that same week.

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters PIC: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

Glow sticks aloft as veteran Scottish ravers TTF mark 35 years of happy hardcore at the Hydro on 1 June with a line-up including their peers 2 Unlimited, Snap! and Whigfield. The Killers attempt to compete with three “intimate” Hydro gigs with Travis in support and rapper Doja Cat kicks off the European dates of her Scarlet tour at the same venue on 11 June.

For those who think roofs are for wimps, open air concert options include Green Day in Bellahouston Park, and Foo Fighters and P!nk in Hampden Park (not on the same day). TRNSMT leads the festival charge with Liam Gallagher, Gerry Cinnamon and Calvin Harris, Belladrum replies with Deacon Blue, Sugababes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, a bumper run of Edinburgh Castle concerts features Manic Street Preachers and Suede, Paul Weller and JLS, and the Summer Sessions expand to Stirling’s City Park in the august company of Sir Tom Jones.

Autumn The music industry likes nothing more than gig ticket money already in the bank – only eight months or more to go before autumn appearances by Texas, Slipknot, Idles, Squeeze, The The and Chris Stapleton. Like the Jesus & Mary Chain, Hue & Cry are also celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band with a nine-date Scottish tour in October. By the end of the year, we should also be feasting on a new Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds album, Sia’s tenth album, titled Reasonable Woman, Dua Lipa’s follow-up to Future Nostalgia and maybe even the fruits of Paul McCartney’s industrious studio activity.

2024 Arts Preview: The Year Ahead in Pop