During those ten years, they have succeeded in asserting a sound, a style, and a name. With four studio albums and three live albums on the counter; travelling across stages, festivals, and continents, the seven Franco-Irish musicians continue to refine their elegant and daring re-reading of the Celtic music tradition, shaken with great blows of rock energy, pop melody and folk magic… Quite a journey for a band that was only to be a « one-shot » creation at the « Vieilles Charrues festival », in July 2014…

The energy, the desire and the freshness will therefore have been the strongest for this gathering of adventurers, rallied around the name « THE CELTIC SOCIAL CLUB » and a simple artistic program: propelling traditional Celtic music (Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Asturia) by mixing it with rock, pop, folk and groove. Organized like a stage commando, the «CELTIC » plays a lot in Europe, flies to Asia, and then the United States, (including an emblematic show in Central Park, New York). They then set out to conquer the United Kingdom, even though they knew that the English were not inclined to indulge in “French” groups, with their fourth album, DANCING OR DYING? (2021). Discovered by the emblematic Janice Long from BBC, the singles « Home » and « Over The Line » were then regularly played on BBC 2, the biggest radio station in Europe. The « CELTIC » obtained a fullpage interview in the culture section of THE TIMES newspaper, a rare event for a French group in England, and also appeared on the cover of ROLLING STONE magazine in France !

If The Pogues and The Clash have often been cited in an attempt to summarize this energetic and ambitious musical “mash-up”, the « CELTIC » has little by little found its marks and its stability, to the point of making references and comparisons obsolete today. The BAND continues the DANCING ON DYING TOUR, culminating in an appearance on the main stage of the « Vieilles Charrues festival » on July 14, 2023, and is preparing new material with its new singer from Dublin, the talented Taylor Byrne, who has already proven himself on several singles (The Auld Triangle, Far Away From Here, Suddenly…). Releases which prove that Manu Masko, Goulven Hamel, Pierre Stephan, Céline Rivaud, Mathieu Péqueriau and Richard Puaud have ambition to spare and a formidable stage commitment to assert their position as a challenger!

Whelan’s Main Venue • Wed 4th February 2026

€18 available online from Whelan’s – €1 per ticket service charge applies. Strictly over 18′s, I.D. may be required

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Silent Disco from 10:30pm – 2 DJs, just pick the one you like best (€5 cover charge), plus Late Bar

The post Whelan’s Main Venue • Wed 4th February 2026 appeared first on The Celtic Social Club | UK.

Trained in classical violin at the Fontenay-sous-Bois conservatory, she quickly fell under the spell of Irish music—first in Paris, then straight from the source in Ireland, learning from legends like Martin Hayes and Liz Carroll.

Fearless and versatile, Céline has played in countless line-ups mixing folk, world grooves, classical strings, and daring stage experiments. She’s performed with Inis, Faolan, Dirty Linen, the Monaghan String Quartet (alongside Gilles Servat), and the celto-berber project Mugar led by Nasrédine Dalil and Youenn Le Berre. She even brought her bow into the wild universe of Bartabas and his Irish Travellers show at Théâtre Équestre Zingaro.

As a long-time member of The Celtic Social Club, she teams up with Pierre Stéphan as the Twin Fiddles, creating a unique acoustic blend. Together, they spark a fiery Celtic vibe—half tradition, half rebellion—with onstage chemistry that electrifies the crowd.

Off stage with the band, Céline keeps pushing boundaries with more intimate projects like May Bugs, Lagan, or her Oba Duo with bassist Olivier Moret. From massive festivals like Vieilles Charrues and Cornouaille, to iconic venues like L’Olympia, she’s carried her fiddle across Europe and North Africa, always with passion, elegance, and a smile that wins over every audience.

Céline Rivaux: the grace of the violin, the ear of a true teacher, and the fire of an artist who bridges cultures with soul and style.

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