Glasgow
Entertainment
add to Travel Bag (NEW)
Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, is THE place to party. A dynamic cultural center, its many museums and art galleries are now juxtaposed with an ultra-hip image and cool new buzz. Culture by day, clubbing by night, no moment need pass without some form of entertainment.
If you’re not into shopping, museums and galleries provide the best daytime diversion in the city. The area around Glasgow University, a particularly good spot for educational treats, has highlights such as Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Museum of Transport. In the center of town, visit the controversial Gallery of Modern Art and make up your own mind. For a more spiritual dose of culture, St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art is an entertaining and educational way to pass a few hours. The People's Palace and Winter Gardens is the best place for finding out about local history and culture—its multimedia, interactive exhibits will keep the kids from complaining that they’re bored.
The streets around Trongate, just east of the center, are peppered with independent little art galleries, including the amazing kinetic sculptures of the Sharmanka Gallery and Workshop, which will delight and enthrall the whole family. Check out the Centre for Contemporary Arts on Sauchiehall Street for pop culture or have a walk round The Lighthouse if you’re interested in architecture and design. Mackintosh fans will go mad over the House for an Art Lover, but if you can’t be bothered making the trip to the south side, have a look at the Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum in the west end, which houses an excellent collection of original Mac pieces. If you only want one Glaswegian gallery on your schedule, marvel at the treasures that make up The Burrell Collection.
Fed up with museums? Worship the medieval beauty of Glasgow Cathedral then check out Provand's Lordship next door; it’s the oldest dwelling in Glasgow. If all the history gets oppressive, relax in one of the city’s many parks. The sprawling Glasgow Green is in the east, while Kelvingrove Park, Botanic Gardens and Kibble Palace out west offer peace and quiet with squirrels to watch, statues to admire and greenhouses to explore.
As the light fades, choose between noisy and civilized pursuits. Glasgow is blessed with a wealth of good writing and since the 1990 Year of Culture, theater has been a thriving presence in the city. The Citizens Theatre is widely regarded as the best in Scotland and the Theatre Royal often welcomes the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Arches and the Tron Theatre are great for cutting-edge drama, whilst King's Theatre is musical-land. Glasgow is home to the Scottish Ballet company as well as Scottish Opera, so lovers of high-brow culture will not be disappointed. Tramway is the place to go for performance art and the kind of groundbreaking work you won’t catch elsewhere. For a bit of a laugh take in a show at comedy club The Stand.
There are plenty of cinemas in town, the Odeon City Centre shows all the big Hollywood productions and the Glasgow Film Theatre has an excellent programme of art-house and foreign films. Two screens at the Caledonian Grosvenor show blockbusters and classics in a more intimate atmosphere while Bollywood fans will love the Bombay Cinema.
Feeling groovy? Slip on your glad rags and prepare for a night of funk and frolics. The nightlife in Glasgow is difficult to fault, although it is worth noting that most clubs operate a curfew policy—if you're not in by around 12.30p, you might as well go home. With something for everyone, cheesy popsters can party as hard as professional techno-heads, and rock chicks can mosh in style.
If live music is your bag, there are plenty of venues to try. Big names often pop up at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and the Royal Concert Hall, but many bands prefer to play several nights at the smaller Barrowlands, a former ballroom, because the atmosphere is second to none. Gigs at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut feature fresh new talent and established names, whilst the 13th Note has salsa classes as well as top bands. On Sauchiehall Street Nice 'n' Sleazy is a great night out and the stage is often graced by the cream of the local music scene. For a taste of traditional folk music, pop into the Scotia Bar; it’s one of Glasgow’s oldest pubs and there’s usually someone playing. Ever wondered what the Gay Gordon was all about? Friday night ceilidhs at the Riverside Club are brilliant fun, if exhausting, and those unfamiliar with Scottish country dancing are warmly welcomed.
Glasgow has many clubs to rave about. There’s a high concentration on and around Sauchiehall Street; The Garage is a favorite with student poptarts and disco divas, whilst the Velvet Rooms attract an older clientele a few doors along and Reds is just across the road. A little further down the street, Trash pulls in big crowds of up-for-it party animals. Alaska has a good mix of big name DJs and mainstream dance, but Media has given up trying to compete with its neighbors and dishes up a menu of pure 80s nostalgia. The Cathouse near Central Station, has three floors of metal, industrial and goth madness. Cheap and cheesy Cleopatra, known locally as Clatty Pat’s, is the only club in the west end; it’s mostly favored by firemen and nurses. A mainstay of the gay and lesbian club-scene is the popular Polo Lounge, while Bennets Disco, also in the Merchant City, pulls in a more casual crowd. Going underground, The Tunnel attracts lots of famous faces so keep your eyes peeled for stars. Archaos has a stunning interior and on some nights they have trapeze artists and fire-eaters to entertain the masses. Serious clubbers head to The Arches, which regularly plays host to famous guest DJs in its atmospheric vaults.
