Glasgow's Merchant City Festival back for 2024 with spectacular new programme of events

Set to return this month, the team behind the ever-popular Merchant City Festival has revealed this year's spectacular programme.

The highly popular event will run from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21 and features outdoor arts, circus and dance acts, musicians and more for families in the area to enjoy.

Brought together by Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture and sport in Glasgow, and offers plenty of free fun for all the family.

Fair: Play

The organised have revealed the theme of this year's festival is Fair: Play, celebrating Glasgow’s Fair Fortnight, the traditional holiday when Glaswegians relaxed and had fun.

Entertainment acts will take to the streets and venues of the Merchant City – including Merchant Square and The Social Hub Glasgow – across the three days of the festival.

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Free family days

On the Saturday and Sunday, Merchant Square will host free family days (11 am-5 pm) featuring family ceilidhs, Bebop Bairns discos, dancers, puppet shows and roaming characters like the multicoloured Prom Pom Queen.

The Prom Pom Queen act is co-commissioned with Scotland’s children’s theatre agency Imaginate.

The much-loved Merchant City Festival markets will also return, offering craft, farmers’ and gift markets and food stalls.

Music and live acts

For the first time, Merchant Square will host musical entertainment each night of the festival.

The musical evenings kick off with a ceilidh (5.30-7 pm) and are followed by performances from two bands (7.30-8.30pm and 9 -10 pm).

A DJ will then keep the party going from 10 pm-midnight.

Renowned Glasgow festival Celtic Connections will bring folk, roots and world music to Merchant Square on the Friday night.

The music programme on the Saturday night celebrates Glasgow Pride, which is also taking place in the city that day, with a Queer-led programme including Megan Black.

The Sunday evening features sets by Glaswegian roots trio Awkward Family Portraits and 50s pop outfit The Shivering Sheiks.

Hip Replacement

As well as the activity taking place in and around the streets of the Merchant City, the 2024 event includes Hip Replacement community disco nights where the ‘middle edge’ crew can enjoy top tunes on a large dancefloor.

The Hip Replacement nights take place at the Old Fruitmarket on the Friday and Saturday (7 pm until midnight).

Tickets are available on the Merchant City Festival webpage.

Live Comedy

After sell-out shows at Glasgow International Comedy Festival, Big Angie FireStarter will light up The Social Hub on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20 (8-9.30 pm). Visit the Merchant City Festival webpage to buy tickets for the Big Angie comedy nights.

Opening Day

The Merchant City Festival will start in style on Friday, July 19 with a music programme from Surge, Scotland’s leading outdoor arts agency. The programme begins with a performance by singer-songwriter and clarsach player Pauline Vallance in Brunswick Street (12-12.30pm and 5-5.30pm).

Glaswegian indie-folk singer The Jimmy Hoo Ha will then take to the microphone in Wilson Street (12.30-1 pm, 1.30-2 pm and 4.30-5 pm) before Zimbabwean DJ Elanda lays down hypnotic tracks in Brunswick Street (12.30-1.30pm and 4 -5 pm on Friday, July 19, 4.15-5.15pm on Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21).

Atlantic Journey will perform traditional flamenco and Afro-Cuban dancing in Brunswick Street on Friday, July 19 (1-1.30pm and 5-5.30pm).

Cera Impala’s impressive vocals will take audiences to another place and time at the junction of Albion Street and Bell Street from 1.30-2 pm and 5.30-6 pm on Friday, July 19 (1-1.30pm and 2.30-3pm on Saturday, July 20; 1 -1.30pm and 2.30-3 pm, Sunday, July 21).

Giant Grimaldi Twin puppets will roam the Merchant City streets along with friends on stilts and skates between 2 pm and 4 pm.

The opening day closes with musical performances by Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beetroots on Wilson Street (4-4.30pm and 5.30-6 pm).

Saturday and Sunday

Arts agency Surge will bring street theatre that ignites the senses and fuels the imagination to the Merchant City on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival.

On Saturday, July 20, a daring exercise by The Frame act in Garth Street and Hutcheson Street (12-12.45pm and 3.45-4.30pm) will give passers-by a chance to witness the extraordinary – visit the webpage to book a place to watch this free, must-see act.

The Most Dangerous Animal in the World show on the corner of Wilson Street and Hutcheson Street tells the story of a sheep who ends up in the city after being exiled from her island community for her adventurous spirit (12.30-1.05pm and 2.15pm-2.30pm on Saturday, July 20; 12.30-1.05pm and 2.45-3.20pm on Sunday, July 21).

Glasgow Science Centre’s BodyWorks exhibition, which lets visitors take a new look at the science behind health and wellbeing, will open at The Boardwalk from 11 am until 5 pm on the Saturday and Sunday.

The Boardwalk will also offer a quiet space for people to rest, contemplate, meditate and pray during the festival.

Glasgow Science Centre will also deliver Castles Rock! shows which explain why science and engineering are crucial to understanding life in times gone by.

The shows take place at The Social Hub on Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21 (12.30-12.45pm, 1.30-1.45pm, 3-3.15pm and 4-4.15pm).

A Portal in Candleriggs offers visitors a chance to leave the streets of Glasgow behind and step into imagined worlds of their own making on the Saturday from 1 -4 pm (and 1 -4 pm on Sunday, July 21 July).

Later that afternoon, Glaswegian brass band Brass, Aye? will sing, dance and deliver a carnival atmosphere all while dressed in gold in Albion Street and Bell Street (1.45-2.15pm and 3.45-4.15pm).

Many of the acts taking to the Merchant City streets on the Saturday of the festival will return on the Sunday.

The final day also features a performance by Un Duo Jazz de Baribone, who will play jazz tunes to groove to (Albion Street and Bell Street, 1.45-2.15pm and 3.45-4.15pm).

Road Closures

To ensure festivalgoers’ safety, the following roads will be closed to traffic from 6.00am on Friday 19 July until 11.59pm on Sunday 21 July: Brunswick Street, Bell Street (between Candleriggs and Walls Street), Candleriggs, Garth Street, Wilson Street (between Glassford Street and Candleriggs), Hutcheson Street and Albion Street (between Blackfriars Street and Trongate).

No vehicles will be allowed to wait, load or unload from 3.00pm on Thursday 18 July until 11.59pm on Sunday 21 July in Hutcheson Street, Brunswick Street, Bell Street (between Candleriggs and Walls Street), Candleriggs, Garth Street, Wilson Street (between Glassford Street and Candleriggs) and Albion Street (between Blackfriars Street and Trongate).

Director of Culture, Tourism and Events at Glasgow Life, Billy Garrett, said: “The Merchant City Festival is a core and popular part of Glasgow’s Summer of Events programme. Performers turn the streets and businesses of the area into a vibrant and fun hub of indoor and outdoor art which offers something for everyone.

"From amazing acts to great food and music, the Merchant City Festival has it all. The diversity, scale and quality of the programme for this year’s festival will definitely create another wonderful weekend of entertainment in Glasgow’s city centre.”

Visit the Merchant City Festival webpage on the Glasgow Life website to see the full programme and timings.

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