Check out the latest announcements, new openings and best ways to enjoy Glasgow this Autumn and Winter.
Glasgow to host 2026 Commonwealth Games
It has now been announced that the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026. The games will be making a return to the city after a hugely successful 2014 Commonwealth Games. For more information visit here.
Glasgow to host The MICHELIN Guide ceremony Great Britain & Ireland 2025
As home to one of the UK’s best food and drink scenes, Glasgow is excited to host the first-ever MICHELIN Guide ceremony Great Britain and Ireland held in Scotland. The ceremony takes place on the Monday 10 of February at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. For more information visit here.
Glasgow has been placed in the top 20 cities by the 2024 Global Destination Sustainability Index
Out of 99 cities across the world, Glasgow was placed in the top 20 by the 2024 Global Destination Sustainability Index. To find out more visit here.
Celtic Connections 2025 line-up announced
The line-up for next year’s 32nd Celtic Connections has now been announced. The festival’s 2025 bill spans a myriad of genres, from acoustic, traditional, Americana and orchestral to indie, jazz, blues, experimental and more. To check the full line-up, visit here.
4 Cosy things to do in Glasgow this Autumn/Winter
For the ultimate cosy stay, upgrade to an Executive Room at Glasgow’s Carlton George Hotel. With access to the Executive Lounge complete with fireplace, complimentary drinks and snacks plus a fluffy bathrobe and tartan slippers in your room. Or check in to newly opened House of Gods with maximalist décor and butler service. For foodies, look no further than Glasgow’s first restaurant with rooms, Celentano’s, with views overlooking Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis plus a Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant downstairs.
Take a walk in a city park
One of the best ways to enjoy the seasons changing is by visiting one of the city’s many parks and gardens. Head to the southside to walk around Pollok Park, taking in The Burrell Collection, Highland Cows and fairy garden. Still in the southside, take one of the many walking paths in Bellahouston Park before warming up at the café within the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed House for an Art Lover. Or head west to take a stroll around the quirky cobbled lanes for some independent festive shopping.
Seasonal Food
Cosy up at Brel in Ashton Lane where you can make s’mores by their outdoor firepits. Or for an Autumnal feast book in at either 111 by Modou or Fallachan for their latest seasonal tasting menus.
Have a dram in a cosy pub
Escape the cold by cosying up in a pub and enjoying a dram of whisky, Scotland’s national drink. Must-visits include The Pot Still, which stocks over 600 whiskies, and Oran Mor which won best whisky bar at the 2022 Maltmen Awards. Not a drinker? No problem, head to Bare Bones to have the best hot chocolate Rick Stein has ever had.
New restaurants and bars
The Last Book Store
This bookshop themed bar has book-lined walls and a literary archway made up of 1,300 books, making it the perfect spot for book lovers. Their cocktail menu has been designed by a former English teacher, with drinks inspired by authors whose work is connected to alcohol including, Jack Kerouac, Dorothy Parker, and Ernest Hemingway. The food menu features delicious Mediterranean-inspired small plates.
Margo
From the team behind Glasgow favourites Ox and Finch and Ka Pao, Margo is an exciting new opening focusing on seasonality. Small and large plates will highlight produce sourced from the finest growers and makers, while Scottish seafood will be on the menu as well as meat butchered in-house, plus bread and pasta made from scratch.
Sebb’s
Set to be one of the city’s coolest eating and drinking spots, Sebb’s is an underground bar beneath the new Glasgow addition, Margo, on Miller Street. Opening this November, inventive cocktails will be served, alongside food cooked over fire, including jerk spiced port neck and grilled aubergine. With a backdrop featuring DJs spinning vinyl, be sure to check out their private dining space ‘The Record Room’ too, which features a window looking into the mixology room.
Berlinkys
Berlinkys is a brand-new live entertainment bar on Sauchiehall Street. It features an exciting weekly line-up of live bands, musicians, stand-up comedy, and aerial artists. The venue also includes cosy seating areas, a roaring fireplace, a dance floor, and delicious food and drink.
Sear’s Pizza
Sold by the slice or pie, Sear’s Pizza is worth the viral hype. Go for the Sear’s slice with a vodka sauce base and home-made pesto or the mushroom slice with truffle oil. The pizza chef uses a rare 3-day proofing process for the dough, which makes these pizzas extra special. Glasgow resident Lewis Capaldi has been seen popping in for a slice, alongside a host of other notable Scottish faces.
Events
GlasGLOW (October 25 – November 3)
The UK’s biggest Halloween event returns to Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens with another epic outdoor experience. The spectacular light show will have a Halloween Trick or Treat theme this year, with 10 spooky and exciting realms to explore. From Clowntown and a Haunted Hoose to cosying up at the campsite and pumpkin patch.
Nordic Music Days (October 30 – November 3)
For only the third time since 1888, the Nordic Music Days festival is taking place outside the Nordic countries. The event will feature 12 days of live music, pop-up events, and sound installations to celebrate the culture between the Nordics and Scotland.
Hoolie in the Hydro (December 7)
Scotland’s biggest night of traditional music, Hoolie in the Hydro, returns to Glasgow’s iconic OVO Hydro on Saturday 7 December 2024 to commemorate 100 years of Scottish music. Following the watershed success of previous editions, this world-renowned event promises to be another ground-breaking moment for Scotland’s vibrant music scene.
Celtic Connections (January 16 – February 2)
Glasgow’s annual folk, roots, and world music festival celebrates Celtic music and its connections to cultures across the globe. Over 2,100 musicians from around the world brought the city to life this year, making it one of the biggest and best European winter music festivals. 2025 will do the same, as well as concerts there will be ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops and free events too.
Scottish National Whisky Festival (January 25)
The Scottish National Whisky Festival brings together exhibitors from across the industry, with hundreds of whiskies and spirits available to sample. Guests can also enjoy live music and entertainment from celebrated Scottish artists.
Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) (February 26 – March 9)
Glasgow Film Festival prides itself on being one of the friendliest on the planet. The diverse programme celebrates cinema from around the world, as well as showcasing new talent and the best of Scottish film. Limited films are already on sale, with the full programme being announced.
Glasgow International Comedy Festival (GCIF) (March 12 – 30)
For 20 years, GCIF has been bringing world-class comedy to Glasgow and returns in 2025. Featuring both local talent and emerging comedians across the globe, the festival offers a range of comedic styles like stand-up, improv and sketch.
For more information and inspiration for things to see and do in Glasgow check out: visitglasgow.com