Glasgow...Always an Eventful Experience!
As one of Europe’s Cultural Capitals, you’ll always find Glasgow an eventful experience whether you’re a clubber, concert-goer, opera aficionado, theatre lover or dance fan!
No matter when you arrive in the city you’ll find live performances, festivals, exhibitions and entertainment fifty-two weeks of the year! Here we raise the curtain on a few leading events for 2006 in Glasgow: Scotland with style.
- Glasgow Mackintosh Festival 2006
Throughout 2006, with a special focus of events in September, Glasgow celebrates the world renowned architect, designer and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh with the spectacular Glasgow Mackintosh Festival. The festival offers a chance to enjoy the unique riches of Glasgow’s Mackintosh heritage with an ambitious and wide-ranging series of events and exhibitions at venues across Glasgow. www.glasgowmackintosh2006.com
- Alice Through the Looking Glass (from 9 February)
Mystify, excite and educate, with the wonders of perception over reality. Visitors to Glasgow Science Centre can explore the fascinating tricks that their brains can play when they discover the mysteries of the world through hands and bodies on exhibits. This major temporary exhibition takes over an entire floor of the Science Mall and will be an unmissable interactive experience for all the family. For more information log onto: www.glasgowsciencecentre.org
- 11th Glasgow Art Fair (6 - 9 April)
Find the best contemporary art to view and buy in the heart of Glasgow. Celebrating its 11th year, The Glasgow Art Fair is the only event of its kind in Scotland, attracting more visitors and selling more art than any other fair or forum outside London. www.glasgowartfair.com
- Glasgow International (19 April – 1 May)
After the success of last year’s inaugural Glasgow International Festival, the city will once again proudly host this event. Glasgow International has grown out of the existing infrastructure in the visual arts in Glasgow and both celebrates and supports the continued growth and achievements of Glasgow’s visual arts sector. The programme aims to reflect the position of Glasgow as a centre for production and exhibition of internationally significant visual art, and will bring to this context a range of work, much of which has either been specifically commissioned or brought to the UK for the first time for the Festival. For more information log onto: www.glasgowinternational.org
- Triptych 06 (26 – 30 April)
Now in its sixth year the Triptych festival continues to go from strength to strength. Showcasing hundreds of new and legendary musicians to an audience of around 30,000 annually, the event is rooted in Glasgow and rolls out to Edinburgh and Aberdeen over a four day period. Expect the unexpected as previous festivals have included performances from a huge range of musical styles and genres with anything from Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass to Franz Ferdinand, Chuck D, Grace Jones and Sly and Robbie featured. Coldcut and Mogwai are already confirmed for this year’s festival. www.triptychfestival.com
- Big Big Country (17-27 May)
Glasgow’s annual extravaganza of all things musical from the USA returns for its 12th year. The festival programme includes US folk legend Ramblin Jack Elliott, Howe Gelb and blues man extraordinaire John Hammond. www.soundsfine.co.uk
- Shakespeare in The City (5-24 June)
Glasgow’s Shakespeare in the City, a festival by and for young people, enters its third year. Performances at The Arches include All’s Well That Ends Well and The Tempest as well as Micro Shakespeare, Shakespeare on Film and Shakespeare in Design. www.thearches.co.uk
- West End Festival (9 – 25 June)
2006 is the festival’s 10th Anniversary and to celebrate, organisers intend to make it a year to remember! The festival offers revellers an outstanding mix of theatre, music, visual arts and the feel-good summer vibe of the Midsummer Carnival, when thousands dance their way on to Byres Road – 2006’s big party is on Sunday 11th June. www.westendfestival.co.uk
- Glasgow Mela (11 June)
The Glasgow Mela in the city’s Kelvingrove Park is the West of Scotland’s largest multi and inter-cultural music and dance event. An event for all the family, its vibrant and varied programme attracts around 25,000 people each year.
- Marcel Breuer, Design and Architecture (16 June - 27 August)
Marking the 25th anniversary of the death of one of the most influential designer-architects of the 20th Century, The Lighthouse, Scotland's first, dedicated, national centre for architecture and design, is to present the only UK showing of "Marcel Breuer, Design and Architecture". The exhibition features many examples of furniture designed by Breuer at the Bauhaus and detailed 3-D models of 12 of his keynote buildings. www.thelighthouse.co.uk
- Royal Scottish National Orchestra ScottishPower Proms (21 June – 1 July) The RSNO
ScottishPower Proms occupy a unique position in Scotland’s cultural landscape, offering a series of lighter concerts featuring popular classics that appeal to a wide and varied audience. Although every concert is a highlight, the famous Last Night is an unforgettable experience combining stirring classical anthems with a blaze of tartan, pipe bands and waving saltires. www.grch.com
- Bard in the Botanics (21 June – 22 July)
Glasgow Repertory Company’s annual outdoor Shakespeare festival, Bard in the Botanics, staged within the spectacular and historic Glasgow Botanic Gardens, has proven a hit with audiences and critics alike. Information on the 2006 programme will be available on the website soon. www.glasgowrep.org
- Glasgow International Jazz Festival (23 June – 2 July)
The Glasgow International Jazz Festival is inarguably one of the UK’s most prestigious cultural events celebrating the world of Jazz, Blues, Rhythm and Blues and Swing. From its inception, the Glasgow International Jazz Festival has attracted leading stars of international acclaim and a plethora of accomplished Jazz musicians and orchestras. www.jazzfest.co.uk
- Luciano Pavarotti (5 July)
Luciano Pavarotti celebrates his fortieth anniversary this year as an opera singer. The great Tenor has confirmed that his last ever performance in Scotland will be at the SECC, Glasgow. Pavarotti's last Scottish performance was in 1990 as part of Glasgow's City of Culture celebrations and this finale concert forms part of his worldwide farewell tour. www.gigsinscotland.com
- Glasgow River Festival (15-16 July)
July sees the return of the festival celebrating the River Clyde, following the enormous success of the previous two festivals. Special events will take place throughout the weekend at venues along the waterfront and on the river itself, including Glasgow Science Centre, The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour and the SECC. www.glasgowriverfestival.co.uk
- Piping Live! – Glasgow International Piping Festival (7 – 13 August)
A global celebration of the diversity of piping music will take place in Glasgow as more of the world's best and emerging pipers descend upon the city for the third year of Piping Live!, the Glasgow International Piping Festival. For one week across various different venues and outdoor spaces, Piping Live! will showcase the best that international piping has to offer with over two dozen different nationalities and piping traditions being represented. www.pipingfestival.co.uk
- World Pipe Band Championships (12 August)
The World Pipe Band Championships have been associated with Glasgow since 1948 and are a celebration of the very best of Scottish music, culture and dance. The event will see over 8,000 pipers and drummers from across the globe competing at Glasgow Green for the coveted title of World Champions 2006.
- Gourmet Glasgow Food & Drink Festival (Throughout August)
Gourmet Glasgow is back and bigger than ever! Now in its third year, the festival embraces excellence in food and drink for all tastes. Dining offers, food demonstrations and tasting opportunities will be on offer in a variety of participating bars and restaurants. www.gourmetglasgow.com
- Whisky Live (8 & 9 September)
The whisky tasting event of the year, providing the ultimate whisky experience to both the enthusiast and novice alike will return to George Square in 2006. Amongst the attractions will be an education and entertainment zone filled with themed areas: history of whisky, food demonstrations, the tasting tunnel, discovering Scotland’s whisky and the mobile distillery experience. www.whiskylive.com
- Doors Open Days (16 & 17 September)
Doors Open Weekend offers people the chance to explore some of Glasgow’s most fascinating buildings - many not normally open to the public. In 2006, 100 buildings will welcome visitors, many including music, theatre, exhibitions and guided tours. www.gbpt.org
- Merchant City Festival (20 - 24 September)
Glasgow’s multi-arts festival celebrating the cultural richness of the city’s old commercial quarter will incorporate theatre, music, visual arts and comedy. www.merchantcityfestival.com
- Glasgay (16 October - 12 November)
A fabulous month long festival with over 200 events at many venues throughout the city, celebrating all that is great and wonderful in queer culture. www.glasgay.com
Glasgow on Ice (Late November – 24 December)
In 2006 George Square will once again place host to the sensational Glasgow on Ice. With the magnificent City Chambers as a backdrop, skate or spectate on one of the largest open-air ice rinks in Europe. www.glasgow-on-ice.co.uk
More information on events can be found at www.seeglasgow.com
ENDS
Issued by and further information from:
Caroline Gray – Public Relations Executive, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
Tel: +44 (0)141 566 0832 Email: caroline.gray@seeglasgow.com
PR13/eventsupdate/mar06