Glasgow Events and Festivals
(Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
There are a number of lively festivals and events which take place throughout the year, in and around central Glasgow. The residents of Glasgow like to party and the region's extensive calendar of festivals and events includes lively street fairs, carnivals, parades and numerous sporting events. Local newspapers and leading regional magazines regularly publish the latest cultural events and festivals, and also contain up-to-date listings of events nearby Glasgow.
Glasgow's helpful tourist information office is always a useful source for current events. Many of the festivals in Glasgow draw enormous crowds of both participants and spectators, such as Hogmanay, and provide tourists with a wide range of things to see and do whilst staying in this exciting city.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day / Hogmanay
- Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
- Spring holiday - Monday mid-April
- First Monday in May - May Day
- Last Monday in May - Victoria Day (Glasgow only)
- Last Monday in August
- Autumn holiday - Monday in mid-September
- 25th December - Christmas Day
- 26th December - Boxing Day
(If Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday becomes a public holiday).
Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
Numerous exciting festivals and events take place in the Glasgow area and Scotland throughout the year. Events small villages nearby Glasgow have weekly markets and many traditional customs and events, some dating back hundreds of years.
January
- Hogmanay - December 31st / January 1st - celebrations throughout Scotland to celebrate the arrival of the new year, including a large street party in central Glasgow
- Tha Ba' - January 1st, two teams chase each other and a ball, until one team reaches its goal, held in Kirkwall, Orkney
- Up Hellu Aa - last Tuesday in January, this popular festival takes place in Shetland
- Glasgow Celtic Connections - this enormous Glasgow festival celebrates everything Celtic and attracts around 80,000 visitors in the Glasgow area
- Burns Night - late January, suppers are held throughout Scotland, including Glasgow, to celebrate Robbie Burns, Scotland's best-loved bard and poet. This historic Glasgow event dates back more than 200 years
April
- Edinburgh International Science Festival - early April, this popular two-week Edinburgh festival is held in around 20 venues throughout Edinburgh, close to Glasgow, and features many interactive events
- Rugby Sevens - a popular seven-a-side rugby tournament held close to Glasgow area
- Beltane Fire Festival - late April, with a large fire, painted bodies, drumming and dancing, this large Edinburgh festival attracts around 15,000 spectators in the Calton Hill area of Edinburgh, close to Glasgow
May
- Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair - mid-May, this Edinburgh event is held over a weekend and usually takes place in the Assembly Rooms on George Street in Edinburgh, nearby Glasgow
- Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival - four days of distillery tours and whisky tasting are held in Speyside
- Scottish FA Cup Final - the deciding football match in Scotland's premier football tournament is held in Hampden Park in Glasgow, close to Edinburgh
- Scottish International Children's Theatre Festival - late-May, this week-long event features some of Scotland's best children's theatre companies performing in various venues in Edinburgh, close to Glasgow
- Orkney Folk Festival - concerts, workshops and general festivities, held in Orkney, which is around 2.5 hours from Edinburgh
June
- Bearsden and Milngavie Highland Games - early June, these exciting highland games feature caber tossing and are held in Glasgow
- Riding of the Marches - June to August, with horse riding, parades and brass bands, commemorating the historic conflict with England and the small towns in the Borders area of Scotland
- Edinburgh Meadows Festival - first weekend in June, this weekend-long event takes place in the Meadows area of Edinburgh
- Pride Scotia - mid-June, held over a weekend, this gay pride festival includes many celebrations and festivities throughout Edinburgh, close to Glasgow
- The West End Festival - the lively Glasgow festival of music and arts is held for two weeks in June and is one of Glasgow's largest and most popular festivals
- West End Festival - two weeks of music and arts events are held during June in and around Glasgow
- Edinburgh Royal Highland Show - Scotland's national agricultural show is held in Edinburgh, nearby Glasgow, during June, attracting thousands of visitors
July
- Glasgow International Jazz and Blues Festival - early July, jazz players from around the world celebrate 'The Blues'
- Pride Glasgow - mid-July, an annual LGBT event in the city launched in 2008 and featuring parades, parties and performances, often based around George Square
- T in the Park - mid-July, this is Scotland's largest music festival, featuring many world-famous bands, and takes place in Perthshire, close to Glasgow
August
- Edinburgh Military Tattoo - with Edinburgh pageantry and military displays throughout August, held in Edinburgh, nearby Glasgow
- Edinburgh Fringe Festival - mid-August to early September, this Edinburgh international arts festival runs for around three weeks and is held in Edinburgh, nearby Glasgow
- Edinburgh International Festival - mid-August to early September, this Edinburgh festival includes many theatrical performances at venues around Edinburgh, nearby Glasgow
- Edinburgh International Film Festival - late-August, the Edinburgh International Film Festival attracts large crowds and is held in various locations in Edinburgh for two weeks, close to Glasgow
- Glasgow Great Scottish Run - late August, the UK's second biggest half marathon race starts from Glasgow Cross and finishes on Glasgow Green
- Edinburgh Book Festival - late August, this two-week celebration of literature is held throughout Edinburgh, nearby Glasgow
- World Pipe Band Championships - a gathering of around 100 bagpipe bands in Glasgow
September
- Edinburgh Mela - early September, this is Scotland's biggest multicultural event, with over 40,000 people in Edinburgh's Pilrig Park, nearby Glasgow
- Braemar Gathering - with kilts, cabers, bagpipes and many games, this event is held throughout Scotland and the Glasgow area
- Doors Open Day - late September, many of Edinburgh's finest private buildings open their doors to the public, nearby Glasgow
October
- Royal National Mod - a largely competitive Gaelic music festival held in various locations in and around the Edinburgh area, close to Glasgow
- Glasgay - late October / early November, this is a popular Glasgow gay performing arts festival
November
- Bonfire Night - early November, with large bonfires and impressive fireworks displays in central Glasgow
- Glasgow Christmas Festival - with live entertainment, family events and other attractions, Glasgow celebrates the arrival of the Christmas season
- Night Afore Fiesta - late December, a warm up to Glasgow's famed Hogmanay New Year's Eve party