Music venues in Glasgow
Music venues in Glasgow
As the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music, it’s no surprise that Glasgow has many amazing music venues across the city. From gigs in bars to incredible shows in city parks, Glasgow is a hotspot for live music and is a must on your visit.
Iconic music venues
Barrowland Ballroom
Known for its neon sign and sprung dance floor, the Barrowland Ballroom is a Glasgow icon. It is a hit with artists as well as music fans and was named 'Best Venue in the UK' (Time Out, 2023). Opened in 1934, this incredible venue has played host to Blur, Oasis, David Bowie and Metallica. Check out what’s on at barrowland-ballroom.co.uk.
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
Iconic yet intimate, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut has its place in music history as the location where Oasis were signed. King Tut's ranked 61st worldwide for tickets sold on the Pollstar International Charts (2023). The position was celebrated as 'astonishing' given the venue's small 300 capacity. King Tut's has supported big names early in their careers including Radiohead, Biffy Clyro and Frightened Rabbit. Book a ticket at kingtuts.co.uk and discover the next big star.
OVO Hydro
The OVO Hydro consistently ranks as a top 10 global indoor arena by industry experts Pollstar. Scotland's centre for entertainment has played host to the biggest names in music, including Beyonce, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa. It’s part of the Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC) Campus which also includes Glasgow’s iconic SEC Armadillo building. Find out what’s on at OVO Hydro’s website.
O2 Academy Glasgow
A former cinema and bingo hall, Glasgow’s O2 Academy is a music venue brimming with history. It's iconic art deco frontage and period features inside make for a memorable setting to watch your favourite artist. Check out what’s on at academymusicgroup.com.
The Garage
Club and live music venue The Garage has been rocking out on the city's most famous street for nightlife, Sauchiehall Street, since 1994. The Garage has hosted thousands of bands and artists of all genres, from Prince to One Direction to Coldplay. Visit The Garage's website for listings.
Cathouse Rock Club
Like The Garage, the renowned Cathouse Rock Club was opened by rock guru Donald Macleod in the early 90s. Live music is at the heart of this 350 capacity venue, with the likes of Anthrax and Fall Out Boy having played. The 'Catty' as it's affectionately known, continues to host stars of the future in the world of rock. Visit cathouse.co.uk for info.
Glasgow's concert halls
Glasgow has a number of concert halls which provide a more traditional music setting.
- Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is home to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and regularly hosts events including the annual folk and roots festival, Celtic Connections.
- City Halls is steeped in history and has hosted many famous names including Charles Dickens and Dr David Livingstone. Today, there are regular performances from resident orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
- Old Fruitmarket is a spectacular concert venue that neighbours with City Halls. The venue has retained the original greengrocers’ signs from a time when the building was, you guessed it, a fruitmarket.
Find out more about these venues at glasgowconcerthalls.com.
Intimate venues
The Glad Cafe
This not-for-profit licensed cafe and music venue regularly hosts gigs by traditional, indie and electronic artists. Visit The Glad Cafe’s website to see what’s on at this southside gem.
Mono
A vegan cafe bar and somewhere to discover new music, you can find Mono in Glasgow’s Merchant city area. It's also home to a fantastic independent record shop, Monorail Music. Head to monocafebar.com to find out more.
Òran Mór
Housed in a former church, Òran Mór is a beautiful bar, restaurant and venue. Enjoy live music with previous artists having graced the stage including Amy Winehouse and The Proclaimers. Find out more at oran-mor.co.uk.
Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA)
As the name suggests, the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) is a hub for all things art in Glasgow, including gigs. With a diverse and experimental calendar of events, check out what’s on at cca-glasgow.com.
St Luke’s
Head to the east end of Glasgow for drinks, delicious food and a gig at St Luke’s. Playing host to a diverse range of artists, the converted church venue has something for everyone. Visit St Luke’s website to see what’s on.
Sauchiehall Street
Found in the heart of Glasgow’s nightlife scene on Sauchiehall Street, and next door to each other, are three dive bars – Nice N Sleazy, Box and Broadcast. Each are renowned for their calendar of diverse music events. Check out nicensleazy.com, boxglasgow.co.uk and broadcastglasgow.com to find out what’s on.
Open-air music locations
Credit: Ryan Buchanan
Parks
Many of Glasgow’s much-loved parks play host to music events throughout the summer months.
- Nestled amongst the greenery of Kelvingrove Park, Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre is a beautiful outdoor venue. It hosts performances from Glasgow Mela, Scotland's biggest free multicultural festival, and the annual Glasgow Summer Nights Festival.
- Glasgow Green hosts the Scottish rock, pop and indie festival TRNSMT, the World Pipe Band Championships and BBC Proms in the Park every year.
- Queen’s Park Arena and Bellahouston Park on the southside both play host to one off music events.
Visit our parks and gardens page to find out more about the city’s parks or head to our top events and festivals page for info on named festival above.
Barras Art and Design (BAaD)
An indoor venue with an outdoorsy feel, the covered Barras Art and Design (BAaD) Courtyard hosts loads of gigs. Near to the iconic Barrowland Ballroom, it’s also the perfect spot for pre-gig drinks and dining. Head to baadglasgow.com for more info.
City clubs
SWG3
The stylishly industrial SWG3 is a warehouse complex with multiple venue spaces, ranging from the intimate Poetry Club to the largescale Galvanisers. A venue which oozes cool, head to SWG3 for gigs and club nights. Find out more on SWG3’s website.
Sub Club
Regularly voted amongst the best clubs in the world, Sub Club hosts some of the finest house DJs as residents at the flagship Saturday night Subculture. Check out what’s on at subclub.co.uk.
The Berkeley Suite
Hidden in plain sight with a pawn shop sign outside, The Berkeley Suite has an art deco style bar upstairs and a basement club downstairs. The club hosts a mixture of well-known resident DJs and some of the biggest names in the dance music scene from around the world. Get tickets at berkeleysuite.com.
Did you know that Glasgow's status as a UNESCO City of Music makes it one of 13 UNESCO sites in Scotland? In a world first Scotland's UNESCO sites have been brought together to form a trail - discover more about each of these 13 wonders and the UNESCO trail at visitscotland.com.
Article last updated: October 2023
