Songlines' Global Christmas Playlist

Lisa O’Neill ‘The Bleak Midwinter’

Irish singer-songwriter shared The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right, a heartfelt new collection of songs in the lead up to Christmas, which was motivated by the "man-made greed-motivated unnatural disasters put upon this beautiful planet and it’s people". The EP was not dedicated to Christmas songs, but did include her take on this familiar favourite.

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Together for Palestine ‘Lullaby’

A collective of UK and Palestinian artists joins together on Lullaby, a tender reimagining of a traditional Palestinian folk song that carries both sorrow and hope. With soft harmonies and a spirit of solidarity, it offers a tribute to those enduring hardship while extending a gentle wish for peace this Christmas. You can find out more about the story behind this song here.

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Mari Boine feat Stein Austrud ‘Go buolašidja savkala’ / ‘Vuonagiid Juovlasálbma’

Sámi icon Mari Boine has released two new singles for Christmas. ‘Go buolašidja savkala’ delivers a hushed, wintry meditation that drifts between mother-tongue lullaby and spiritual reflection, channelling Arctic stillness, ancestral memory and the quiet magic that lingers when nature, myth, and childhood belief briefly align. ‘Vuonagiid Juovlasálbma’ reimagines a beloved Nordic Christmas hymn in her native tongue, offering a meditative winter song that feels like a quiet prayer by the fjords, a luminous celebration of light, land, and deeper gratitude during a long Arctic night.

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Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway feat Ketch Secor 'Fairytale of New York'

Former Songlines cover star Molly Tuttle reimagines The Pogues’ 'Fairytale of New York' with her partner Ketch Secor. She says that the song reminds her of family trips to Ireland as a kid, driving around the beautiful countryside listening to The Pogues on repeat.

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Thelma & James 'White Christmas'

A folksy honouring of Irving Berlin's 'White Christmas'. The Nashville-based married couple bring a warm and nostalgic feeling to the holiday classic, with added pedal steel guitar for good measure.

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Laura Cannell – Brightly Shone The Moon

Laura Cannell’s latest album contains nine holiday tracks that take inspiration from winter carols but then reshape them into haunting, atmospheric pieces for organ and fiddle. A stark, beautiful soundtrack for fragile seasonal light. You can listen to the full album at Bandcamp.

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Willie Nelson 'Christmas Love Song'

Country music legend Willie Nelson delivers a heartfelt Christmas ballad, filled with a warm fireside feeling, complete with comforting guitar, harmonica and soft drums. It's a fine addition to his much loved Christmas album, Paper Planes, from 1979.

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Jassi Sidhu ‘Christmas Bhanga’ (from Christmas Karma Soundtrack)

In Christmas Karma, the new film from British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future guide a modern-day Scrooge through a powerful, Bollywood-inspired take on the Dickens classic. Chadha's breakout cinematic success Bend It Like Beckham featured a memorable cameo from Malkit Singh's 'Jind Mahi' and she features the track once more on 'Christmas Bhangra'.

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Meridian Brothers feat. Mau Gatiyo 'Lloro Sonriendo en Navidad'

Colombia's Meridian Brothers have a lot of fun with this strange, cumbia-tainted Christmas tale, with echoes of 'Jingle Bells' and other Christmas classics hinted at, but never allowed to get too recognisable. 

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TERCOS 'Santa Cumbia!'

Even heavier cumbia vibes on this lively, dancefloor-ready Christmas groove from Mexico's TERCOS. It’s a song that pulses with warmth and glee, perfect for dancing, letting go, and celebrating under colourful lights.