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The only Glasgow Events Guide
you'll need this year

My little Glasgow events guide
will drag you from the confusing maze of
faceless & heaving events listings


The Must-Read Lowdown | Top 10 Music Venues
Top 10 Entertainment Venues - COMING SOON


January | February | March | April | May | June
July | August | September | October | November | December


The West End Festival GlasgowThe Lowdown

OK so don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely sure I'll be hunted down by wild dogs for even breathing the possibility that some of the Glasgow events listings out there are completely pointless.

But what can I say? Some of them really are!

I just don't understand why, when you're looking to plan a great time here, you have to trudge through reams & reams of pages, every one of them packed to the brim with appallingly short, poorly described events in Glasgow. The thing about finding the best event Glasgow has to offer YOU in particular, is that this is such a pulsating, tight community that if something's on, there's a great chance you'll either know about it already (for example, if it's your favourite artiste) or will find out about it when you're here. In other words, you won't need some faceless list of what's on in Glasgow to zone in on what you'll enjoy.

Maybe I'm doing myself out of a job here, but hey, I'm just trying to save you a little time, so I really hope you don't mind.

So what I've done on this page is to list the regular, major Glasgow events and festivals which attract the most visitors to the City, and which crop up every year without fail. Some might be missing though, but please don't shoot me about that, because if it's not listed here, it's because I consider that it's not one of the big players yet (I'm not saying it's not a great event of course, or that it'll never be included here later on - boy am I covering my back big style!).

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XML Graphic What's this all about?

This little, general guide to what's on in Glasgow is just to give you a flavour of the many 'must see' and 'must attend' events to flesh out your visit to the City. For more specific, smaller Glasgow events (and there are literally hundreds of them every month here), unless there's something particular you know you'll want to see, in which case I'm pretty sure you won't need an events list to tell you when it is, your best bet is simply to get here, pick a venue suited to your taste and just enjoy what's playing when you're here. Plays, operas, music gigs, movies, art exhibitions, places you can just sit on the grass & picnic? Just have a wee look at my Top Ten Venues links above, as these are the places you should enjoy no matter what's on. Alternatively, you'll always find things going on to interest you at one of the Top Ten Glasgow Attractions listed on the site, so again it's just a case of turning up and enjoying what's there. What can I say, I like to take it easy! Why bother cluttering up your plans by over-organising your visit, because in Glasgow, you'll find that events and ideas will simply turn up in front of you, allowing you the freedom to choose there & then what to do.

IMPORTANT - As for the Glasgow events you see on this page, I've not included dates because they change from year to year, but you can be sure that when you get here, you'll find out very easily what's on & when. So just take a look at the month you'll be here, note down what you like and look out for these Glasgow events when you get here or ask at the Tourist Information Office on George Square. Organising it more than that just spoils the fun!

Of course, if you do need any more advice on planning your time here, or want to know more about any specific Glasgow events, please contact me directly and I'll point you in the right direction.

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Celtic Connections GlasgowJanuary

The start of a busy year!

Most Glaswegians will still be recovering from their Christmas & Hogmanay hangovers, but that doesn't stop us keeping the momentum going with some great Glasgow events, mainly to get over the blues of going back to work!

First up every year is the Celtic Connections Festival. This one's a major deal in the City, and has become one of the largest and most important music festivals in the world. Originally arranged in 1994 to fill a wee gap in the calendar of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, in general over 100,000 lovers of all things musical will descend on the City's numerous venues to see acts as diverse in the past as the Levellers, Fairport Convention, and the Renaud Garcia Fons Trio, and enjoy a veritable feast of Scottish, Celtic and international talent. This uniquely designed Glasgow event takes place all around the City these days, in places like King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow Cathedral, the Old Fruitmarket and the Tron, although the larger acts still centre on the Royal Concert Hall where it all started - I think they've got first dibs! There are now over 200 events arranged every year, and you'll be treated to concerts, lectures, ceilidhs and workshops, with a little street artistry dotted about to top it all off and brighten your shopping day.

If you've enough breath left in you after all that, there will still be plenty of Pantomimes dotted around Glasgow, and you can read more about this fun tradition in the November bit below.

Alternatively, you could pop over to the SECC for the annual Carnival, which is Europe's biggest and best even though it's indoors (good idea given the usual skies of grey at this time of year!), and runs from December through January. Although I'd certainly suggest that if you're planning on attending this dizzying belter, one of the most rip-roaring of all Glasgow events, you should make sure your stomach's lined with enough milk to counter the roller-coasting thrill of the rides and entertainment on offer. Remember to look out for the deals. Last time I went it was £10 to get in but I got onto 10 rides for that. I still walk in zigzags just thinking about it!

And if these Glasgow events don't completely scunner your energy, if you're here on 25th January you'll have the absolute pleasure of celebrating in Ferr Bonny Scotland the unique excitement of Burns Night...

Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, and stares, and a’ that;
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' independent mind
He looks an' laughs at a' that.
- A Man's a Man For A' That


...The provocative & defiant Robert Burns is Scotland's most famous poet (known in these here parts just as The Bard, so Shakespeare fans don't be too upset!). To be honest, I could wax lyrical about the man's history and poetry, my unforgettable trips to his birthplace in Alloway, and the extremely nervous time I served as Chairman to my school's Burns Supper, but to be honest there's simply too much to say on the matter, and you'd be better just experiencing a Burns Supper for yourself when you're here, to taste some proper haggis and understand why for some reason the vast majority of mature Scots absolutely love celebrating the man's life and recapturing at least once more the feel of being truly Scottish again, after the whisky & kilt-girdled memory of Hogmanay begins to fade.

Look out for any Burns celebrations taking place around the 25th (or ask me if you can't find any), and book your place at a Supper where you'll be treated to one of the best Glasgow events all year, from the Piping in of the Guests & Haggis, the Selkirk Grace, the Address & Toast to the Haggis, and of course the meal itself before an evening of fiery poetry, songs and laughter with the likes of Tam o' Shanter, The Immortal Memory, and the much appreciated, joke-a-minute Toast to the Lassies. Normally you'll end it with a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne, and some modern Burns Nights (to which ladies are now invited - the horror!) even put on a stomping ceilidh to make sure you don't leave without knackering yourself completely. So it's one of those Glasgow events you'll never get a truly genuine feel for outside Scotland, and I thoroughly recommend attending a Glasgow Burns Night while you're here, and taking away with you some unique memories you might even want to recreate with your own Burns Supper back home in years to come. An' a' that!

I also like to kickstart the year with a few more Glasgow events like some music gigs or a show, so it's a good idea to check out the Top Ten Venues links above and see what's on when you'll be here.

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Glasgow Film TheatreFebruary

If you'll be here in February, be prepared for an exhausting time!

February in the City brings some great Glasgow events, and pushes the festival scene screaming into top gear. You'll have New Territories, Glasgow's international festival of live arts which features every year some of the world's most talented and influential artists. It usually runs into March at the fashionable venue Tramway, in the Southside of Glasgow.

Next up there's the Glasgow Film Festival, held mainly at the Glasgow Film Theatre but also in the cinemas all around the City. I don't need to say much about this one, because in Europe it's fast becoming more hotly anticipated than that Edinburgh one along the road. It's been growing every year, and you can usually pick up a pass to the various movies on show. While I do get the Cineworld monthly card which gets me into unlimited movies for just over tenner a month, I'll always be happy to scrape off the dust from my wallet for the GFF, as it's one of those Glasgow events that grows in confidence every year, and which encourages me to watch some films more high brow & subtitled than my normal diet of monolithic blockbusters.

You've then got the Aye Write Festival, one of the fastest growing Glasgow events in February. Running at the magnificant Mitchell Library (Charing Cross, Glasgow), it always promises to deliver a superb line up of international authors and our own local but world-acclaimed talent, for example in the past my old university tutor Denise Mina (although she'd hate me for calling her old...), the best-selling Iain Banks, and Alasdair Gray, who wrote a (now well-thumbed) book of mine on one of my all-time favourite poets, Jorge Luis Borges. Looking at the swathe of Glasgow events usually arranged for this festival, if you're as interested as myself in reading and writing, and in the macromechanics and inspiration behind the work of exceptional international writers, you'll unearth some fascinating insights within the programme, the extent of which I'm pretty sure will be unparalleled in the UK.

The festival aims to encourage reading, writing and creativity in Glasgow, but as with all the other funky Glasgow events popping up around the City these days, goes even further by uncorking the bottle and pouring out for you an illustrative dram of Glasgow's stimulating brew of offbeat imagination. And yeah, I'm all about the similes these days (or is it the metaphors? I really need to look out those High School English books again...).

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Glasgow International Comedy FestivalMarch

Continuing the annual hogshead of globally respected Glasgow events, the Glasgow International Comedy Festival kicks off in March. In years past, this outstanding festival has attracted thousands to the City, rivalling similar set ups throughout the UK (including a complete trouncing of even Edinburgh's much-trumpeted equivalent).

The great thing about the festival is that you can pop into a local pub and watch an up and coming talent working through his or her nerves (even if that normally involves them picking on unsuspecting members of the audience like me, who seem to stand out for some reason!), or you can book a seat in a larger venue where the bigger names in comedy will be playing. This is one of the most popular Glasgow events, and involves about 40 venues with over 300 shows. My suggestion? If you're here you'd be well advised to head to Oran Mor at the end corner of Byres Road and Great Western Road, where you'll be treated to a superb night's entertainment entitled A Play, a Pie, and a Pint. Other stand out shows will include the powerhouse acts of the day who usually sell out like stolen candy on eBay, but also includes kids shows and starlets in the making. So it's definitely worth a punt if you'll be here. Check your ribs at the door cause they'll end up sore, as the saying goes, and in the meantime, what do you call a fish with no eyes? - A fsh...

Yeah I know, don't quit the day job Docherty!

Saint Patrick's Day GlasgowAlso in March, a big celebration can be had on the 17th with St. Patrick's Day. OK, so we don't have an official festival as such, but given the large Irish contingent here, as well as the huge number of Celtic FC fans who all think they're Irish (!), with the exception of Ireland, Boston & NYC you'll find it hard to have a better time celebrating St. Patrick's Day in anywhere other than Glasgow.

So just follow all the green hats as they pile into every Irish bar in the City, sink a Guinness for Saint Paddy and rock the night away until you can't find your way home!

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Glasgow International Art FestivalApril

With the April showers comes one of the most anticipated Glasgow events, the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art. Phew. What a title! Glasgow City Council runs the GI Festival, which runs through until May with an exceptional programme of exhibitions, seminars & talks across more than 30 venues. It regularly attracts over 25,000 visitors and firmly establishes Glasgow as a leading destination for international art fans. There's an official site which details what's on this year, but you're likely to see the cream of international and local exhibitions involving surreal things like the use of vaseline, tissue & polythene to explore gender, psychoanalysis and psychology (I'm sure it all makes sense somehow!...), or a wild array of sculptures and visual art films from across the globe that'll get you talking for yonks afterwards.

Around the same time you'll have the chance to visit another example of the Glasgow events geared towards culture, Scotland's National Art Fair at George Square, with more than 40 galleries exhibiting work from over 1000 established artists & cutting edge talents, all of which will be available to buy if you have some spare greens to part with. It normally pulls in around 16,000 visitors, with about £1.1 million worth of art work sold, from 50 quid sculptures to spanking new paintings for thousands of pounds. So it's a pretty big deal really, as it's now referred to as the UK's most prestigious contemporary art fair outside of London, attracting the cream of Europe, and reflects just how much of a name Glasgow has made of itself in global visual art circles. I'd recommend heading to George Square for a look if you'll be here. Tickets & a 4 day pass are pretty cheap, although kids under 10 go free if you think they'll be up for it. There's a cafe & bar and you can also arrange guided tours if you're like me and have absolutely no idea about art but just like to have a look! I've been told that there's no better place to get a taste of what's going on in the art world today, so it'll likely be a worthwhile pitstop to make. If anything, you'll enjoy watching me asking every single person who comes in if they'd like to pay a few bucks for my pencil drawing of a house (still haven't got rid of it...).

...Also worth a mention is Triptych, a cool little music festival that embraces diverse genres like Indie, Jazz, Neo-Classical, Reggae and Dance. It certainly makes for a colourful month of Glasgow events, and without doubt you'll hear more about it when you're here.

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Old Fruitmarket GlasgowMay

In the first weekend in May you could attend the increasingly popular Maydaze, which is normally held in the City Halls & Old Fruitmarket. It starts with the traditional & contemporary mix of the Mayday Rally, and ends the day in an event the whole family should enjoy. Just a fun wee musical extravaganza really, not one of the major hotspot Glasgow events, but having been to it a few times I'm always itching for it to be extended to more than a day, kinda like the old Mayfest we used to have here and which I greatly miss.

In May you'll also have Big Big Country, the Americana Music Festival. This is my kind of stuff - blues, southern soul, American folk, country & bluegrass, and if you're as much of a fanatic as me, you'll want to look out for this when you're here. It plays in venues like Brel, the Arches and the Tron, so if you hang around there you'll find a programme to plan your shows.

Because it's a pretty slow month for the main Glasgow events though, usually I prefer to keep up the momentum by taking in some tours at the Top Ten Attractions, or by booking tickets for a play or a gig at one of the venues listed above (always grabbing some seats at a great restaurant to start the night off - you know me and my stomach...), so it normally turns out to be a surprisingly busy month for me despite the big Glasgow events calendar taking a short nap.

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West End Festival GlasgowJune

One of my favourite months for Glasgow events, the main diary buster in June is the Über-cool West End Festival. It parades down our streets throughout the month, and if you're lucky enough to be here to join in the fun, expect to see over 200 music, film, art and performance events dotted around the bohemian West End area, with street parties & parades you're welcome to take part in, salsa and steel bands, and a pure explosion of colour and fun packed into the few weeks it's on. As I said before, we used to have the colourshacked Mayfest in the City, but regretfully that died its death, and this little festival has been growing every year as a replacement, a true testament to how cultural Glasgow's become in recent times despite its working class, smokey past. So pop along if you have the time, take in some events on the street, grab a few drinks and enjoy a picnic in the sun on the Botanic Gardens grass. And if you see me there, well, please just treat me sympathetically and point to me the way home...

For jazz lovers, there's the Glasgow International Jazz Festival. As I mention elsewhere, it's not really my bag, but I'm usually hanging around the Merchant City & George Square while it's on, so hear quite a lot of what's going on. To those more in the know than me, you'll be delighted to hear both home-grown & international talent filter out some free improv, blues, cool & hot jazz, reggae, hiphop, fusion, progressive, R&B, and soul to Dixieland, New Orleans style and Swing. Sounds like I know what I'm on about, doesn't it?!! It gets rave reviews and is fast becoming one of the most cherished Glasgow events.

Whilst there are other pretty decent Glasgow events in June that capture the imagination, like Live & Loud (a 'must attend' & sell-out pop concert if you're under 25!), and Bard in the Botanics (which does exactly what it says on the tin - a homage to Shakespeare in the Botanic Gardens, the first annual outdoor Shakespeare festival in Scotland), the main one which sets June alight particularly for tourists is the Lord Provost's Procession. It involves a great deal of bagpipes, tartan, colourful floats, street entertainers and free family fun. It always proves to be a pretty enjoyable day out, even if you think you're too cool for it all, and even when it rains (which for some reason isn't often!). It starts at Blytheswood Square in the centre & ends with a party into the night at George Square, so if you're up for the kind of celebration you'd expect from Scotland, all kilts & bagpipes, this is one of the closest Glasgow events you'll get to that here & I'd definitely recommend it.

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T In The Park near GlasgowJuly

July, a month of (hopefully) sundraped Glasgow events, wouldn't be the same without T in the Park. Yes, strictly speaking it's not actually in Glasgow (although it used to be really near it!) given that it's now a few hours away up in Balado, but you'll find that pretty much everyone here jumps the bus to go to this at least once in their lives. One of the UK's most important & critically acclaimed music festivals, T in the Park is worth the bus ride out of the City, and sells out every year the day after the festival closes. However, tickets always seem to show up during the year and more than likely nearer the time when folks realise they were too hasty & now can't make it there. All the top acts of the day play this gig, so why not give it a try if you're lucky enough to bag a ticket?

Glasgow River FestivalIf you're not so lucky, the other Glasgow events (!) will keep you smiling insanely throughout July. The Glasgow River Festival is a brilliant celebration of our very own River Clyde. Don't be put off with that though, because actually it's pretty good, so good in fact that it averages about 85,000 visitors every year, making it increasingly one of the top rate Glasgow events. The idea is basically that you head down to the waterfront at the Glasgow Science Centre (just follow everyone else!), and when you get there, muck in with all the explosive live science shows, circus workshops, face painting and street shows. My personal favourite though is to get a good view on the bridge there to watch the Zapcat races (crazy fast boats tearing it down the river, so don't blink too much as you might just miss it).

For me though, July's just a time to enjoy the weather, relax & go to whatever shows, plays or gigs are on around the City. No place for micro-planning in my life, just enjoying what Glasgow events are on, so try it out for a while when you're here. Pick out some venues here & there, varying from theatres to top attractions, from forest walks to restaurants you like the look of when you amble past. As the great Bob "Joy of Painting" Ross told us all in his infinitely chilled-out wisdom - it's your world, you decide, it doesn't really matter. So don't just listen to me, it'll be more fun if you don't!

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World Pipe Band Championship Glasgow GreenAugust

So we move onto August (jeez this year's gone in quickly!). This month's one for all you traditionalists out there, looking to scratch a bit of the more internationally recognised Scottish history when you're here, the kind of Glasgow events you see in books covered in tartan. Piping Live! which ends every year with the insanely popular - but loud, oh so loud! - World Pipe Band Championships, really is a sight & sound to behold, even if you might need ear surgery after it all (my brother Steven instantly regretted buying a flat next to Glasgow Green where it all takes place - the poor boy never slept in August!). Bands and acts from all across the globe come to compete for the prestigious titles on offer, every one of them at the top of their game, so pack the ear plugs & enjoy yourself.

Talking about games though, August also brings the football (soccer) season back out of the locker where it's been languishing in sweaty socks over the summer, so if you've got time I'd definitely recommend heading to Celtic Park or Ibrox to get a flavour of what really keeps Glasgow spinning. Have a listen while you're here to the radio during the season (which ends in May). Clyde 1 and Real Radio both run a superb football phone-in from 6pm on week nights (you can listen online if you're outside Scotland), and if you're looking to get a true measure of Glasgow's pulse, how inextricably consumed we are as a populace with everything football, then you'll be sure to find the phone-ins an amusing yet eyebrow-raising induction. Like reality TV, despite some of the complete drivel you'll hear from callers and hosts alike, it's one of those things I just can't tear myself away from.

Exploring the importance of sport in Glasgow though is a must for visitors, and in time I'll be dedicating a whole section on the site about why that's the case. It's not all about football though, despite what you'll see in the papers when you're here. Around Glasgow we've got a superb concentration of every sport you can think of, so unless you're like me & prefer to veg out when you're on vacation (yeah, like you don't do the same every other time Docherty!), there's always something sporty to do or watch.

Finally in August, you'll hear a lot about Gourmet Glasgow, one of the Glasgow events I look forward to from the start of the year. Basically, this is where the best restaurants in Glasgow all get around the table & offer you the chance to dine for a very low, set price, usually with the addition of a complimentary glass of wine and a wee dram at the end of your meal. The idea is to encourage those who wouldn't normally eat out to do so, poor students looking to impress their girlfriends, hungry visitors on a budget and so on. So have a look at my restaurants guide, give them a phone and see whether they're part of the Gourmet Glasgow event this year, and they'll tell you what's on offer. Either that or Google it & find all the restaurants who're definitely doing it. I'm drooling at the thought here!

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Merchant City Festival GlasgowSeptember

Is it September already? Oh boy. This is around the time when Tracey reminds me that it's only four more pay days until Christmas. I mean come on!

Anywho, this coming month sees the return of the Merchant City Festival in Glasgow. If you don't know about Merchant City, it's a wee network of vibrant, stylish streets just next to George Square. If you're on the Square, head towards the City Chambers, pass it to the right and keep going. The cobbled streets are beginning to sparkle with all the chic bars, restaurants and clubs, and the entire area is now known as being as cool and relaxed as the West End (if not a little more so - eek! Check the screams of shock!).

The Festival itself has been growing with the area, and you'll find there's a packed programme including music, theatre, comedy, film, food and exhibitions, about 300 events in total.

You know, I'm constantly amazed by how much we've completely nailed these types of Glasgow events as the years go on. The amount of effort put into them is just astounding, and what's surprising for those with a tunnel-vision view of the traditional, shipyard-borne Glaswegian, is that we've been embracing this new wave of continental culture for quite a number of years now (without airbrushing our glorious past of course), evidenced by the fact that in festivals all around the City throughout the year, the streets are lined heavily with mingling citizens and visitors alike, tasting the experience and taking with them a little slice of colour before floating back into the 9 to 5. Me included, and as like the years before you'll be seeing me popping in and about as many events as I can before nestling into a corner of my favourite place in the Merchant City, Arta, which is a fantastic chunk of mediterranean cool, with a tapas restaurant, bars, internal courtyard, club rooms and decently-priced opulence all around. Well worth a visit.

So if you're here at the tail-end of September, why not pop down to the Merchant City and join in on one of the year's trendiest Glasgow events.

When you're here you'll also hear about the Doors Open Day in September, when hundreds of the City's greatest paid attractions (most of the best ones are free though!) open their doors & just let you walk in as though you own the place. Great fun - you can pretend you're the Lord Provost for a day!

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Glasgay Festival GlasgowOctober

Running from October into November, the Glasgay Festival is a citywide celebration of gay culture, and to be perfectly honest, given the amount of effort the organisers have put into the event over the years, even if you're not gay but you like the joy of a camped up party, if you're over here when it's on you should take a look.

This is one of the brightest Glasgow events of the Autumn season, and attracts loads of visitors from all over the world year in year out. Highlights of the programme normally include a number of high-profile drama commissions, haute couture, gothic drama, evocative music, boutique style musicals, one-man confessional stand-up, contemporary visual arts & fancy dress party nights. It all started in 1993, and since then it's expanded to a whole month in length. It's held in over 20 venues across Glasgow, and is the largest multi-art form festival of its kind in Europe, offering pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in terms of performance, film, theatre, music, dance, comedy, club nights, literature events and so on.

There's also four months of visual arts at the Q Gallery, Glasgow's main space dedicated to gay art and artists, so you might just catch some colour even if you miss the Festival itself. The whole point of the thing is to celebrate talent and diversity within the professional international lesbian and gay artistic community, as well as providing a platform for artists still trying to get their name about town, so it's well worth a punt.

Apart from that, Glasgow in October is awash with Halloween. Kids might go out less trick or treating than they used to, but that hasn't stopped the adult population of Glasgow!

At any given moment throughout the month you'll catch the unfortunate sight of grown men dressed as Harry Potter, and hysterical women squeezed uncomfortably into their old school uniforms. Halloween Glasgow events & parties are aplenty in the City, held in pubs, clubs, private function rooms, hotel bars and pretty much every pedestrian street in the City Centre, so if you're up for joining in the fun, rustle up your own costume or pop into one of the costume shops you see in the centre, and become someone you're not for a while. My costume of choice is usually Tom Cruise, but well, there's never been much 'dressing up' necessary for that! (ahem...)

Another option for Halloween is to head out on one of the Mercat walking tours or Murder Mystery Dinner Nights (check out the link from my walking around Glasgow page), which always end up being a great laugh. And October in Glasgow wouldn't be the same without a scary movie. Pick yourself up a ticket for one of the many they trot out at the Cineworld or Odeon, and tremble behind the seats until it's all finished. Always makes for a great night's sleep!

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November

Glasgow Green FireworksRemember remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder, treason should ever be forgot...

The one thing to remember if you're in Glasgow on 5th November every year is to get yourself along to a fireworks display, one of the best Glasgow events in the year, and if you can get there, to the magnificent Glasgow Green in particular. Why's that? What's different about this night from the glorious dazzle of the Hogmanay fireworks and other Glasgow events?

In the UK we celebrate this night unlike most other countries in the world. Bonfire Night (aka Guy Fawkes Night) is all about celebrating the foiling of the outstandingly audacious Gunpowder Plot of 5th November, 1605, when a tight gang of Catholic arsonists, including the infamous high heid yin Guy Fawkes, tried to blow London's Houses of Parliament into smitherines and kill King James I. We celebrate it by sending fireworks into the air, setting fire to Guys (ie. dummies of Guy Fawkes made usually from straw or wood), and generally have a very noisy time of it. I even witnessed once a half scale re-enactment of the Gunpowder Plot, which was actually a re-enactment of what would've happened if the Plot had worked. In other words, I saw the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben included, burst into flames and disintegrate in seconds. Fantastic.

Bonfire Night GlasgowSo why do we celebrate an act of treason that happened hundreds of years ago? Apparently it all started on that night in 1605 when everyone lit fires and danced in the street to celebrate thanksgiving for 'the joyful day of deliverance' (ie. thanks for not blowing the King up). If you're from the UK you'll understand why it's still an annual tradition, and I suspect that most folks in the UK just assume that everywhere else celebrates it. But they don't. It's a night pretty unique to the UK, and Glasgow gets involved with gusto every year.

OK, so that means that around this time of year you'll struggle to get to sleep at night with all the fireworks going off in parks and back gardens all over the City, and you'll not pass a single group of kids on the street without them pointing at their hastily constructed Guy and proudly saying to you with their hand out Penny for the Guy? But even if you don't care why we do all this, if you want to know how much fun it is to set fire to things legally, you'll absolutely love this night in Glasgow. So pop along to a park like Glasgow Green next time, and enjoy a free night of colourful displays that'll warm you up before the Christmas rush.

Nativity Scene George Square GlasgowSpeaking of which, our absolute favourite time of the Glasgow events diary comes sharply into focus in November. On any given day in the coming weeks you'll find us grabbing up decoration after decoration to drape over the house - just picture the Griswalds in Christmas Vacation - and planning our own Glasgow events, parties, dinners and pretty much anything else involving the (these days much-derided) practice of over-eating until bursting point. If you're going to be here at Christmas this year and are looking for some really festive Glasgow events, you're in for a treat. First thing you should do is head to George Square and its glorious Winterfest. No matter what age you are, if you like having fun at Christmas and want some Glasgow events and experiences to warm you up, you'll enjoy gawking at the massive array of festive lights which are turned on mid-November. I'm not a big fan of the actual turning on of the lights event (and they only release the free tickets online at short notice given how popular it is). To me, the fun is in heading to George Square when it's a little more quiet, all wrapped up warm with your friends & family, seeing all the lights flickering away in the dark, smelling the hot chocolate and roasting chestnuts, and joining in all the fun stuff dotted around the place. Far better than just seeing the lights go on and heading to the pub straight after!

You'll love the ever-burgeoning collection of stuff we'll have in the Square, from the ice-rink on which you'll likely see Santa skating from time to time (he's got to have some time off you know), to the hot food, drink and Christmas tat stalls, and of course the Nativity Scene tucked away usually in a distant corner for some reason - you'll likely also see a member of the police force walking about around the Nativity glasshouse though, given the fact that one year a cheeky so and so nicked the baby Jesus, much to the Council's embarassment!

Pantomime at Kings Theatre GlasgowContinuing on the festive theme of Glasgow events, Glasgow's Pantomime Season kicks off around the end of November. The time when Glaswegians from all across the city, and truck loads of wide-eyed, bemused visitors, descend on our theatres and halls, ice creams in hand (no matter the free-falling temperature outside), to watch the most bizarre, mixed-up show they're ever likely to see.

A show in which men dress as ladies, where the audience shouts like nutters to the actors on stage, where a little wee might even escape from the non-stop laughing throughout.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you the Panto Season. If you've never been to a pantomime, you've never lived. There now, I said it. I may be getting older every waking moment. I may be a Partner in a distinguished Law Firm, dressing in a suit most days. I may be old enough to drink myself into a stupor (and have been known to do so occasionally). I may even like the odd paid of socks for Christmas. But I tell you this - I'll never grow too old to go see a Panto. Just like li'l old Peter Pan himself, there's an excited child in every one of us, and what he really meant to say was, if you don't allow that inner child to fly once in a while, you'll wither away sadly watching everyone else have a good time.

Pantomime at the Glasgow PavillionSo I guess what I'm saying is, if you're in Glasgow this Christmas and need some unique Glasgow events to put you in the spirit, book now before the Pantomimes are sold out. You'll never forget the experience. 'It's for the kids' - yeah whatever, they don't even get half the jokes!

Head to the Kings Theatre or the Glasgow Pavilion (the Pav), or even the ones lined up for the smaller venues. Either way you'll have a great time at these 100% unrivalled Glasgow events. Pantos make Christmas in Glasgow what it is, with the kind of Glasgow humour (patter) that draws visitors from around the globe, so round off your time here by letting your inner child fly as they never have before - then you can head to the pub and laugh as you watch them crash drunkenly into a deceptively tall building.

It's behind you......

Talking about alcohol, you'll also be interested to know that another one of the most treasured Glasgow events, Whisky Live is on during November. This is a fantastic addition to the calendar for experts & novices alike. You can get the opportunity to learn the whisky basics, and join in on the tastings, masterclasses, music events & even 'nose-off' competitions. Great way to kick off the festive season & warm you up.

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Nativity Scene George Square GlasgowDecember

Roll on December. It's been a long, but crazy fantastic year of Glasgow events.

One of my gastronomically-anticipated Glasgow events of the year to watch out for every December in Glasgow, is the German Christmas Market in St. Enoch Square.

As if stuffing yourself silly with roast turkey dinners for an entire month wasn't enough, at the stupendously busy German Christmas Market you'll be faced with stall after stall of deliciously tempting bratwurst and currywurst sausages, spanferkel (ehm, roasted piglet I think, but v. tasty whatever it is), garlic and salami pizza bread, and a great deal more, not forgetting the dazzling plethora of sweets and treats, all to be washed down gently with a subtle gluhwein (which is mulled wine, in case you want to appear knowledgeable if anyone asks).

German Market Sausages GaloreBut whoaa there right now. Just stop, anhalten with all this food talk - I'm drooling freely all over my keyboard, and to me this is pretty embarassing seeing as how I'm typing all this at work.

So before I'm electrocuted or otherwise frogmarched from my work, suffice to say that it's worth visiting the market just for the food.

German Market SantaHowever, in the 40 plus fairy-lit cabin stalls dotted around the Square you'll also find items on sale like ornate wooden toys, funky candles, intricate silver and gold jewellery, and most importantly, a superb festive atmosphere to warm you up before Christmas.

Apparently it's the biggest Christmas market you'll find in Scotland, and if you plan your visit well, you might even get there when they've organised the Christmas carols and other entertainment. It really is a great way to get into the spirit of things, so pop along if you can and get in there quick before I clear out the food stalls...

Apart from that, you won't be able to miss how much Glasgow gets into the festive spirit. Everywhere you go you'll see us covered in twinkling lights, arranging festive Glasgow events like huge carol singing concerts, parties in the pubs & clubs, festive musical extravaganzas at the Royal Concert Hall and similar Glasgow venues.

Glasgow New Year George SquareThe list is endless, and having visited a great many towns & cities in December, without trying to be completely biased I really can confirm that your time in Glasgow during this month will bring some glow to your cheeks (despite the weather!) and a smile you'll carry with you into the Hogmanay celebrations on New Years Eve. As for that, you can't avoid it here. Scotland is internationally renowned for starting the Hogmanay street party concept, so much so that I won't bore you by going on about it. Suffice to say that while Edinburgh along the road gets all the plaudits just because it has a castle (!), the (less staged & more fiery) Glasgow events all around the City won't disappoint, evidenced by just how quickly the tickets for the George Square party sell out every year, how devoid of alcohol the off-licences & shops become, how packed full the bars, clubs, hotels & restaurants are around the place, and more revealingly, how quiet it always is on New Year's Day after everyone drops exhausted into bed mid-morning.

So have a great December and an even better year on me, and I hope you stumble across at least a few Glasgow events during your time here that'll convince you to return.

Arrabest tae ye!

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