Things to do in Glasgow today and this weekend

Start at Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis on the east side, then walk down the High Street into the Merchant City and west across the centre to Kelvingrove Park. Kelvingrove museum and the University of Glasgow face each other across the park. Finish by walking through Finnieston to the Finnieston Crane and along the Clyde to the Riverside Museum. In the evening the OVO Hydro and the Armadillo are by the crane, the Barrowland is back east on the Gallowgate, and the King's Theatre and the Royal Concert Hall are in the centre.

Go indoors: Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum and the Burrell Collection are all free, and Glasgow Cathedral is free too, though services can close it for a while. The rainy-day page lists what is indoors, with what is on there next.

Glasgow's big museums charge nothing for entry: Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum and the Burrell Collection, where donations are welcome. Glasgow Cathedral is free as well, and the Doors Open Days in September are free. The free page lists the events of the next 30 days that cost nothing.

The Riverside Museum has a rebuilt street of shops and a subway station, and the Tall Ship Glenlee outside. Kelvingrove has a Spitfire hanging in the west court, and both museums are free.

Glasgow's Winter Wonderland ice rink on Glasgow Green opens on 20 November 2026 and runs on selected dates until 3 January 2027. Visit Glasgow had not published its list of the 2026 Christmas markets when we checked; in 2025 they were at St Enoch Square, Glasgow Green, Glasgow Fort, Clydeside and the Barras.

The Merchant City for bars and restaurants, the West End and Ashton Lane for pubs and student nights, Finnieston for bars along the main road, and the Gallowgate for gigs at the Barrowland. The going-out page lists each night of the week.

The OVO Hydro is the arena for the biggest tours, the Royal Concert Hall for concerts and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Barrowland Ballroom and King's Theatre for gigs and shows. King Tut's is the small room, and Celtic Connections fills the city every January.

The year starts with Celtic Connections in January, then the Glasgow Film Festival and the Comedy Festival in late winter and early spring. In June come WestFest and the Glasgow Jazz Festival, in July the Merchant City Festival and Glasgow's Pride, in August Piping Live! and the World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green, and in September the Doors Open Days. Winter has the Christmas markets and Hogmanay. The year page has the dates.