Top events and festivals

Glasgow Cocktail Week (April 19 – 28)

Get ready for Glasgow’s largest cocktail festival. Glasgow Cocktail week is back, uniting the city’s best venues, delicious drinks, parties to celebrate the art of mixology. Book tickets at glasgowcocktailweek.com.

Queen's Park Spring Weekender (May 4 – 5)

Melting Pot and Optimo (Espacio) are organising the second annual Spring Weekender Festival, this May Bank holiday. Dance to a variety of music and enjoy ice-cold drinks and delicious street food from The Big Feed. For more details go to meltingpotglasgow.com.

Stag & Dagger Festival (May 5)

Scotland's biggest multiple venue festival returns with a line-up of new bands performing across two cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Hamish Hawk and Benefits are just 2 of the bands confirmed. Visit Stag and Dagger on Facebook for full line-up details.

Eat & Drink Festival (May 24 – 27)

Join the UK’s beloved indoor festival at the SEC, celebrating the finest in modern cuisine, mixology, delicious global dishes, and independent produce. Plus, celebrity experts will share their top tips and advice to perfect a delicious meal. For more information, head to the event website.

Riverside Festival (May 25 – 26)

The Riverside Festival is Scotland’s electronic music festival taking place at the stunning setting of the Riverside Museum, by the River Clyde. Featuring Green Velvet, LF SYSTEM, Slam, LA LA, Charlie Sparks, FRANCK, Reinier Zonneveld, and many more. Tickets are on sale, visit riversidefestivalglasgow.com.

Glasgow International (GI) Festival of Contemporary Art (June 7 – 23)

GI takes place every two years presenting artists' projects across Glasgow. The 10th edition of festival will see 18-days of exhibitions, performances, publications, gatherings and interventions featuring both Scotland-based and international artists. Visit glasgowinternational.org.

The Reeling (June 8 – 9)

The second year of music festival The Reeling takes place in Rouken Glen Park just outside of the city. With a line-up that includes the likes of Niteworks, Gnoss and Kim Carnie, the festival has a strong link to traditional Scottish music. Check out the full line-up at thereeling.com.

Refugee Festival Scotland (June 14 - 23)

Rise is the theme of this year's Refugee Festival Scotland. An annual celebration packed with exciting events, showcasing the food, drink, music, art, language and ideas that people had when they settled in Scotland. The full programme will be announced in May, visit refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk.

PRTY Festival (June 22)

Following the success of its first event in 2023, PRTY Festival is a hard-techno festival and is returning to the Braehead Arena and waterfront. Although the line up is still to be announced, you can buy tickets at prtyevents.co.uk.

Big City 2024 (June 29)

Big City is an all-day festival taking place at Queen’s Park. Mogwai will headline, and will be joined by Nadine Shah, Slowdrive, Beak> and more. For updates, follow Mogwai’s Facebook page.

Pagan Fellowship Festival (July 6)

Tir na nOg Holistic Centre will be hosting the Pagan Fellowship Festival. Enjoy a family-day with market stalls, axe throwing, singers, workshop and speakers, finishing with a fire walk by Celtic Fire. To find out more, visit paganvillage.co.uk.

TRNSMT (July 12 – 14)

TRNSMT festival takes over Glasgow Green each July attracting tens of thousands of fans. The line up for 2024 includes homegrown artists Garbage, Calvin Harris and Gerry Cinnamon, not to mention Irish star-in-the-making CMAT. Find out more and book tickets at trnsmtfest.com.

Summer Nights at The Bandstand (July 23 – August 10)

Summer Nights is the city's most scenic music festival, set in Kelvingrove Bandstand in Kelvingrove Park. Acts confirmed include Bananarama, Echo & The Bunnymen, Future Islands, Gabrielle and Johnny Marr. Visit Ticketmaster to book tickets.

A Bowlie Event, Belle & Sebastian Present 'The Glasgow Weekender' (August 2-3)

The fourth music festival organised by the beloved Belle & Sebastian will heading to the SWG3. Dozens of bands will be joining, including CMAT, Bis and The Joy Hotel with many more acts to be announced. Visit the event website for more information..

Piping Live! (August 10 – 18)

The week-long celebration of piping, Piping Live has a line-up of gigs, workshops, tours, talks and more. Visit pipinglive.co.uk for more details.

World Pipe Band Championships (August 16 – 17)

The World Pipe Band Championships sees bands from around the globe battle it out to be crowned champions over one weekend in Glasgow Green. Visit theworlds.co.uk for more details.

Gin and Rum Festival (August 16 – 17)

With over 120 of the best Gins and Rums on the market, the Gin and Rum Festival allows you to discover new favourites with samples from guest distillers. There is also a cocktail bar where there is a selection of seasonal cocktails whilst enjoying music from an award-winning DJ and live entertainment. Buy your tickets at ginandrumfestival.com.

Clydebuilt Festival (September 7 - 8)

The Clydebuilt Festival celebrates all things River Clyde and shipbuilding, so expect a lot of boats! There'll be boat launches and Scotland's biggest open water rowing race, arts and crafts, sea shanties, and food and drink. Find out more at clydebuiltfestival.com.

Celtic Connections (January 16 – February 2)

Glasgow's annual folk, roots, and world music festival celebrates Celtic music and its connections to cultures across the globe. The 2025 line-up hasn't yet been announced, but previous acts include Chris Thile, Skipinnish, Eddi Reader, Valtos, Angélique Kidjo and more. Follow Celtic Connections on Instagram for updates.

Glasgow Film Festival (February 26 – March 9)

Glasgow Film Festival prides itself on being one of the friendliest on the planet. The diverse programme celebrates cinema from around the world, as well as showcasing new talent and the best of Scottish film. More information on listings will be available at a later date. In the meantime, visit the Glasgow Film Theatre website for upcoming events.

Article last updated: March 2024