Glasgow Festivals include festivals for

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

also hosts an annual

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

arts festival An arts festival is a festival that can encompass a wide range of art forms including music, dance, film, fine art, literature, poetry and is not solely focused on visual arts. Arts festivals may feature a mixed program that include music, lit ...

in November. Unlike the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

(where the main festival and fringe festivals all occur around about the same time in August), Glasgow's festivals are spread evenly across the year, therefore ensuring a continuous annual programme of events.

Past festivals

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Glasgow held several Great Exhibitions. They were the International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry in 1888, the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901, the Scottish Exhibition of National History, Art and Industry in 1911 and the Empire Exhibition in 1938. The latter attracted 12.6 million visits, easily eclipsing the Festival of Britain (1951) or the

Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millen ...

in London (2000). Glasgow also hosted the Industrial exhibitions as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951. Glasgow's Mayfest started in 1983 from the popular success of the STUC-organised May Day Parades and became a citywide public festival, covering theatre, music, dance, and visual arts. It became the second largest arts festival in Britain until funding ceased in 1997. In 1988, Glasgow hosted the Glasgow Garden Festival on old docks opposite the SECC, now home to the

Glasgow Science Centre Glasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located in the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II opened Glasgow Science Centre on 5 July 2001. It is one of Scotland's ...

Pacific Quay Pacific Quay is an area south of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located at the former Plantation Quay and Princes' Dock Basin. The Princes' Dock Basin was the largest on the River Clyde when it was opened by the Clyde Navigation Tr ...

. 4.3 million people attended over 5 months, making it by far the most popular of the UK's five Garden Festivals held between 1984 and 1992. In August 1990 Glasgow was designated the

European Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

's European City of Culture, the first such city in Britain and featured a year-long calendar of special events, inspiring the creation of several festivals which still continue today. In 2008 Glasgow was declared a UNESCO City of Music, the first in Britain, and joins 9 other cities with the status worldwide.

Main festivals

Glasgow's main festivals are

Celtic Connections The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of trad ...

,(founded 1993), the Jazz Festival (founded 1987), the West End Festival (founded 1996), Merchant City Festival (founded 2002), Southside Festival ounded 2008 Pride Glasgow Scotland's largest LGBT Pride Festival and Glasgay! (a queer arts festival which is one of the biggest gay and lesbian multi-arts festivals in Europe)(founded 1997). Glasgow also hosts the annual

World Pipe Band Championships The World Pipe Band Championships is a pipe band competition held in Glasgow, Scotland. Overview The World Pipe Band Championships have been staged since 1947, although the Grade 1 Pipe Band Competition winners at the annual Cowal Highland Gat ...

in August on

Glasgow Green Glasgow Green is a park in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde. Established in the 15th century, it is the oldest park in the city. It connects to the south via the St Andrew's Suspension Bridge. History In ...

, with over 8,000 musicians.

Calendar of festivals

As part of Glasgow's cultural renaissance, Glasgow is host to a variety of festivals throughout the year:-

January

– Three week-long Celtic folk and world music festival, founded 1993. Now one of the world's most influential music festivals.

February

Glasgow Film Festival The Glasgow Film Festival is an annual film festival based in Glasgow, Scotland. The festival began in 2005. By 2015, the festival had seen audience figures top 40,000 for two consecutive years. It is now considered one of the top film festivals ...

March

* Glasgow International Comedy Festival * Aye Write! – Annual event of authors and writers. (started 2005). *Glasgow Music Festival – founded 1911 by William Martin Haddow

April

* Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Arts (also known as GI) *Glasgow Open House Art Festival *Glasgow Art Fair – Scotland's main art fair

May

* Southside Film Festival * Southside Fringe – Festival celebrating the Southside of Glasgow featuring music, art, community activities and much more.

June

Glasgow Festival of Wine
- an annual wine festival held in the City and organised by

Tom Cannavan Tom Cannavan is a Scottish author and a wine journalist. He is considered a pioneer presence on internet of the British wine writing establishment. Biography In his youth, Tom had a foretaste of fame as lead vocalist and guitarist in the budding ...

* West End Festival – Centred on Byres Road, Ashton Lane, the Botanic Gardens, the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

and Kelvingrove Park, it is now Glasgow's biggest popular event with over 150,000 attending 500 events in 75 locations and venues. Founded 1996. * Glasgow Science Festival – two weeks of science-themed events for children, schools and adults in venues throughout the city. Founded in 2007. *Lord Provost's Procession – annual community parade (discontinued in 2006) * Glasgow International Jazz Festival (founded 1989). *Glasgow Mela - held on and off since 1990 Year of Culture in differing locations and months, now in Kelvingrove Park on a Sunday in June during the West End Festival *North Glasgow International Festival – event centred on asylum seekers, organised by the police (last held in 2005) *Bard in the Botanics – (annual open-air Shakespeare in the

Glasgow Botanic Gardens Glasgow Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The Gardens has a wide variety of temperate and tropical flora, a ...

) *Govan Fair – Oldest Festival in Glasgow *Gorbals Fair – held in the Gorbals every June

July

*Glasgow's River Festival – two-day family event centred on the Clyde near the SECC and Science Centre. Started 2004, not held in 2010. *Glasgow Cabaret Festival – week-long theatre, variety, burlesque, circus and comedy festival at various venues around Glasgow. Started 2009, not held in 2010, but was held in October 2011. * Merchant City Festival – 4-day event to celebrate Glasgow's cultural quarter (started 2002). * Pride Glasgow – Glasgows Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Pride Festival taking place over the Glasgow Fair Weekend

August

Piping Live! Festival The Piping Live! Festival (a.k.a. Piping Hot Festival) is an annual bagpiping event held in Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central S ...

– celebration of piping in all its forms in the week's run up to the World Pipe Band Championships. *

– major international event held annually on Glasgow Green since 1968. 8,000 pipers and 120 bands. Organised by RSPBA. *Govanhill International Festival and Carnival – celebrating the diversity and community of Govanhill in Glasgow's southside.

September

*Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival – running for one week every September, an opportunity for the public to visit some of Glasgow's most intriguing buildings and get behind the scenes of the city. The programme also includes talks, tours, exhibitions and a dedicated children's programme. Organised by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. (started 1989). The Scottish Acoustic Festival 5th - 7th in Oran Mor and Dram.

October

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival
– one of the largest international arts and social justice festivals.

November

Africa in Motion
– African Film Festival held at the Glasgow Film Theatre. It will be running in parallel with the Edinburgh AiM Festival for first time in 2012. * Glasgay! Festival *The Glasgow Festival of Burlesque

December

*Glasgow's Hogmanay *Glasgow On Ice

References

External links

Glasgow City Council list of FestivalsGlasgow Comedy FestivalGlasgow Art FairGlasgow InternationalWest End FestivalGlasgow International Jazz FestivalGlasgow Cabaret FestivalGlasgow UNESCO City of MusicSouthside Fringe
*

European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

Govanhill International Festival and Carnival
{{Glasgow Music festivals in Scotland