1st – 24th June 2012
Location: Various venues in Glasgow’s West End.
Admission: Varies according to the event you would like to attend.
Parade & Street Party takes place in Kelvingrove Park on Sunday 3rd June from 11.30am. Parade begins at 3pm.
This year, Glasgow’s West End Festival will present 3 weeks packed full of more than 500 events including street parties, comedy, film, theatre, dance, music and family fun.
The West End Festival squeezes more than 500 events into 3 weeks, including music, film, comedy, art, guided walks, childrens events, gala days and theatre. The range of events is truly amazing; there really is a bit of everything, from blockbuster films to street parties, farmers markets to flea markets, and all sorts of music from celtic to latin!
This brilliant festival really shows the true multicultural city that is Glasgow, and proves beyond all doubt that the arts are alive and kicking in Scotland’s best loved city.
Festival Sunday Parade & Street Party
One definite not-to-be-missed highlight is the opening parade and street party on Sunday the 3rd of June in Kelvingrove Park, which is always worth facing the crowds for.
The fun begins at 11.30am with live acts on 5 stages, stalls, bars in the park, and tons more. The parade begins at 3pm, also in Kelvingrove Park.
In true festival style, people from all over descend onto Kelvingrove Park, the heart of the West End, to see Scotland’s Mardi Gras with all sorts of stages including country, jazz, roots, salsa and steel bands.
The West End Festival website publishes full details of all events in May when the programme is finalised. You can also order a brochure online from the site, or download your own copy.
Where to begin…Music, dance, colour, sun and laughter. Whether with friends or out with family, there is something for everyone. The thing that gets me up dancing and beginning the day is Subcity with plenty of space if you feel like getting up and joining me or just sitting with a picnic on the grass enjoying the sun. Soon it’s time for the parade with performers such as spicy latin dancers, quality drummers, sexy belly dancers and bright costumes. After some more subcity DJ’s I move onto watching a stage show or two, my favourite from this year was Esperanza, a ska band with a talent for encouraging their audience to let go and dance the most ridiculous moves yet still make them feel cool. After a magical day, I suggest dinner al fresco at one of the lovely restaurants the west end can offer with a cool glass of wine and some wonderful company.
My family and I went along to the westend festival, which was a fab day out for us all, it was a really good day, there was a big group of us, it had loads to keep us going all day, Glasgow city council done us proud.