05 Dec 2024
Why visit Glasgow in 2025?
With world class museums and attractions, an iconic arts and music scene, and a vibrant food and drink offering - Glasgow makes for the perfect city break.
Glasgow turns 850 years old
Glasgow is celebrating its 850th birthday with a yearlong programme of events and activities. The year will kick off in style with a spectacular concert as part of the world-renowned Celtic Connections festival in January.
Glasgow 850 will also be adding special content to more of the city's much-loved festivals and events throughout 2025 including Glasgow Film Festival and Glasgow Comedy Festival at the beginning of the year, through to TRNSMT, Glasgow Mela, Piping Live! Through to the winter season with GLASglow.
Other highlights of the exciting Glasgow 850 programme include:
People's Palace on Tour
As the iconic People's Palace is closed for a major refurbishment, the People's Palace on Tour programme will see some of the amazing artifacts from the museum on tour. The exhibits will give an insight into how Glaswegians lived, worked and played from 1750 to the present day.
Taste the Place
Taste the Place, a free self-guided digital trail will launch April 2025. The trail will include over 40 eateries from across the city, taking foodies on a cuisine heritage journey through exciting stories and experiences shared by locals and businesses alike. Highlights include a 100-year-old ice cream parlour, an Italian bistro housed within the UKs only remaining tram shelter and an ottoman style coffee ceremony.
Clyde Chorus
The Clyde Chorus will be a multi-venue, multi-genre music event, taking place in various established and bespoke venues along the River Clyde in May 2025, celebrating Glasgow's musical talents. The Clyde Chorus will shine a light on the considerable music offering that the city has to offer.
For the full programme and more information on Glasgow 850, please visit www.glasow850.comg
Food glorious food
With 2024 seeing so many new and exciting openings, and the 2025 MICHELIN Guide ceremony Great Britain and Ireland being hosted in Glasgow, the city is firmly on the foodie map. Glasgow enjoys an ever-evolving food scene meaning that there are always new bars, restaurants and foodie events to explore.
Food and drinks events
The Scottish National Whisky Festival (25 January 2025)
The Scottish National Whisky Festival brings together exhibitors from across the whisky industry on Burns' Day, with hundreds of whiskies and spirits available to sample throughout the day and night. Guests will also enjoy live music and entertainment from celebrated Scottish artists. Go to scottishnationalwhiskyfestival.com for more information.
Meatopia (6 – 8 June 2025)
Next June, Glasgow will be welcoming the famous barbeque festival Meatopia. Taking place in SWG3, the festival will see world-famous chefs showcase specially crafted dishes, cooked over flames. There will also be drinks to go along with the dishes and a host of live musicians and DJs will be bringing the entertainment.
Other annual foodie events to add to your calendar are Glasgow Cocktail Week and with Glasgow's very own B-corp certified, Dear Green Coffee just recently being named 'best in the world' by Roast Magazine, the Glasgow Coffee festival is a must visit.
New and upcoming openings
Zibibbo
Located in boutique shopping mall Princes Square, Zibibbo is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Delicious small and large plates such as monkfish ceviche and braised beef with parmesan polenta are served alongside an extensive wine list. There is also an onsite lifestyle shop, perfect for picking something up to enjoy at home too.
Lucky Strike
This New York style dive bar offers guests American eats, including smash burgers, loaded fries and hot dogs, as well as up to 12 beer taps and a great cocktail menu. There will also be live music every weekend at the dedicated event space downstairs, making it the perfect place to see some of Glasgow's best local talent perform. Visit luckystrike.com for more information.
Saints of Ingram
The hottest new brunch spot housed in one of Glasgow's most iconic buildings Hutchesons' Hall, a former hospital and library, has recently opened. Serving up deluxe breakfast and brunch dishes including sirloin steak and eggs, pancakes and truffle potato scones. In early 2025 Saints of Ingram will open into the evening making it a great day to evening venue.
The Clydeside Whisky Bar
Ideally located in The Clydeside Distillery, and boasting fantastic views across the river, the Clydeside Whisky Bar will be the perfect spot for whisky lovers when it opens its doors in spring 2025.
Celentano's
Although the restaurant has been open a few years now, the owners have now taken over the rooms above, creating one of the best places for foodies to stay in the city. Celentano's have also just recently launched pasta making classes with Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded chef and owner Dean Parker.
Art in the city
Enlightenment at Merchant House
On until 31 January 2025
Enlightenment is a spectacular sound and light show, set to the music of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The show takes place at the iconic Merchant's House where you will see mesmerising visual projections taking you on a journey through spring, summer, autumn and winter.
John Akomfrah's Mimesis: African Soldier at Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
On until 31 August 2025
A film installation which is shown across three screens, reflecting on the experience of soldiers from across the Commonwealth in World War 1, and aims to highlight the significant contribution of over six million African, Caribbean and South Asian people from across former colonies who fought, served, and died in the war.
Gallery Of Modern Art (GoMA) GlasgowJohn Akomfrah – Mimesis: African Soldier
Ciara Phillips – Solo Show (Title TBC) at Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
22 March – 26 October 2025
GoMA is proud to present a solo exhibition by artist Ciara Phillips. Internationally recognised for both her individual and collaborative work through print, Phillips is developing a new body of work for GoMA that foregrounds the creative process itself.
Gallery Of Modern Art (GoMA) GlasgowCurrent Exhibitions
Solange Pessoa at Tramway
April – September 2025
Solange Pessoa (1961, Ferros) lives and works in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Her expansive practice takes inspiration from many different sources including, archaeology, prehistoric cave paintings, traditional craft, Brazilian Baroque and poetry.
Rae-Yen Song at Tramway
October 2025 – April 2026
Rae-Yen Song (b. 1993, Edinburgh) is an artist living and working in Glasgow. Song studied at Glasgow School of Art, and works across sculpture, drawing, installation, video, sound, costume, family collaboration and performative actions in public.
Dear Green Place
Glasgow is one of Europe's leading sustainable tourism destinations. The city has an overall goal to be net zero by 2030 and placed 12th on the Global Destination Sustainability Index report for 2024. The Social Hub Glasgow have just recently become a Certified B Corporation and many of the city's other hotels have the coveted Green Tourism Award making Glasgow the perfect place for an eco-friendly city break. To find out more on how you can enjoy an environmentally friendly break visit Eco City Break in Glasgow - Visit Glasgow.
Always an eventful experience
Glasgow consistently boasts a spectacular programme of year-round events and festivals and next year is no different.
2025 sees the return of Glasgow Film Festival in February showcasing the best of Scottish and world cinema. Glasgow International Comedy Festival is back in March, celebrating Glasgow as 'the funniest city in the world'.
As an UNESCO City of Music, Glasgow has an abundance of music festivals and performances. Highlights for 2025 include Celtic Connections, Glasgow's annual celebration of Celtic music from home and afar. Counterflows, a festival dedicated to unusual underground, experimental music from the UK and beyond. Plus, Country to Country, Europe's biggest country festival will be hosted at the OVO Hydro.
Making use of Glasgow's many green spaces will be TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green. Glasgow's summer celebration of Scottish contemporary folk music, Reeling Festival will be back at Rouken Glen. Plus, new for 2025 is Big Nights Out, a concert series taking place at both bandstands in Kelvingrove Park and Queens Park, with acts such as Arab Strap and Camera Obscura performing.
Further ahead
SWG3 Hotel
SWG3, in partnership with Stallan-Brand has now received the go ahead for an exciting new multi-purpose hotel, which will be built across from the SWG3 venue. The hotel will feature 143 rooms, two restaurants and bars, co-working spaces and a rooftop terrace. All with a commitment to sustainability.
Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026
The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026. The games will be making a return to the city after a hugely successful 2014 Commonwealth Games. For more information visit glasgow2026.com.
ENDS
Fiona Potter
Assistant Communications Officer
fiona.potter@glasgowlife.org.uk
