West End Festival
When: 5th June 2015 – 28th June 2015
Location: Various
This year Glasgow’s West End Festival will present 4 weeks packed full of 100’s of events including street parties, comedy, film, theatre, dance, music and family fun.
More than 1 million visitors have attended the West End Festival since it began in 1995 and last year the festival encompassed over 400 events in 80 venues across the west end, 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. Full details of this years event has still be released.
Some West End Festival Highlights
- The Mardi Gras Parade – By popular demand, the famous West End Festival Mardi Gras Parade will return to Byres Road on festival Sunday; the 7th of June 2015.
- The Glasgow Mela – Celebrating the diverse cultures within Scotland, the Glasgow Mela is packed full of music, dance, arts, fun and entertainment. This year it will take place on the 14th June in Kelvingrove Park.
More of what’s on
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.
What time is the parade starting on Sunday in Byres road?
Parade starts at 3pm from the Botanic Gardens and heads down Byres Road.
What a disappointment no parade this year, but I bet that they found the money to bring in some obscure so called artistic people with no populist appeal, but then thats our intellectual elite ,they know best. What was on offer last Sunday in the botanic Gardens was very poor, with only the girls from SheBoom trying their best to provide some entertainment to a disappointed Joe public .The parade was very badly missed by all it is about time that the organisers realised this was the festivals main attraction and by dropping it this year they have shot themselves and their credibility in both feet.
John you will be happy to hear that the parade is back this year.
We live in the west end and would like to see the parade back in byres road. We feel the bars and restaurants in byres road kept their prices the same if not lower whereas the caterers and bars in kelvingrove park hike the prices because they have a captive market. If the weather turns bad the crowds have plenty of bars restaurants cafes and venues in byres road for shelter and refreshments. We went to the first parade in kelvingrove park and won’t go back due to the high prices and remember you aren’t allowed to take your own alcohol to the park to combat the high prices as its illegal to drink in public.
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.