Glasgow Things To Do

The King’s Theatre

The building was designed by English theatre architect Frank Matcham, and opened in 1904. Primarily a receiving house for touring musicals, dance and circus-type performances, the theatre also plays host to many of the local amateur companies.

Theatre Royal

There have been three theatres on the present Theatre Royal site: the first was called (James) Bayliss's Royal Colosseum Theatre and Opera House and opened in 1867; the second was design by Charles J Phipps and utilised most of the exterior walls of the burnt-out shell of the previous building; the third incarnation burnt down in 1895. The present day theatre is now home to Scottish Opera, and also the Scottish Ballet.

Live music

Live music is popular throughout the city, with many pubs, clubs and venues. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut hosts indie and rock acts, and was where Alan McGee spotted Oasis in 1993 during a four-song gig, whilst The Barrowlands is a major dance hall and concert auditorium famed for its excellent acoustics, as well as its sprung dance floor, and was recently voted the best music venue in the UK in a poll of British bands. The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall was constructed in the late '80s in readiness for the 1990 City of Culture status.

Merchant City

Not to be missed is a visit to Merchant City. A former residential district of wealthy city merchants in the 18th and early 19th centuries, the area lies to the west of the High Street and formed the historic backbone of the city. From the late 1980s onwards, many new cafes and restaurants have opened and the area also contains the Old Tolbooth, the Tron Theatre, the Old Fruitmarket, the Trades Hall, and the City Halls. Merchant City is also home to Glasgow’s growing ‘Arts Quarter’, based around King Street, the Saltmarket and Trongate, and at the heart of the annual Merchant City Festival.

Out of the city

Visitors can also explore the Clyde Valley, which is easily accessible by train, and include the 18th century New Lanark mill and workers’ village, a World Heritage Site, and the scenic Argyll sea lochs, past the old shipbuilding centres on the Clyde estuary.