July is Glasgow’s biggest month in years. The Commonwealth Games are coming home, the outdoor stages are packed, and the city has that electric feeling that only shows up a few times a decade. Here’s what’s on.
- Glasgow Summer Sessions – Bellahouston Park
- Glasgow Mela – Kelvingrove Park – 5th July
- Glasgow Independent Games Festival – BAaD, 11th & 12th July
- Scotties in the City – Citywide, until 16th August
- STREETrave Summer All Dayer – SWG3, 18th July
- Commonwealth Games – 23rd July to 2nd August
- Merchant City Festival
Glasgow Summer Sessions – Bellahouston Park
Kings of Leon headline Bellahouston Park on Friday 3rd July, with My Chemical Romance bringing The Black Parade tour the following night. Two massive outdoor shows back to back – if you’ve got tickets, you’re sorted for the weekend.
Glasgow Mela – Kelvingrove Park – 5th July
Scotland’s biggest multicultural festival of music, dance and arts returns to Kelvingrove Park on Sunday 5th July. Free entry, brilliant atmosphere, and one of the most genuinely joyful days the city puts on all year.
Glasgow Independent Games Festival – BAaD, 11th & 12th July
The biggest indie games event in Scotland lands at BAaD across Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July. Free to attend, based in the East End, and a genuinely good shout for a weekend afternoon.
Scotties in the City – Citywide, until 16th August
Forty giant Scottie dog sculptures and 52 smaller Scotties are scattered across Glasgow until 16th August, each with its own unique design, raising funds for Maggie’s. Free to explore, works as a self-guided walk, and one of those things that makes Glasgow feel like Glasgow right now.
STREETrave Summer All Dayer – SWG3, 18th July
STREETrave takes over SWG3’s Galvanizers Yard on Saturday 18th July, headlined this year by Soul II Soul. An institution. Tickets go fast – grab them now if you haven’t already.
Commonwealth Games – 23rd July to 2nd August
Glasgow 2026 brings together around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations competing across 10 sports and 6 Para sports. Tickets are still available for several events, and there’s a full programme of free activity across the city throughout. Check glasgow2026.com for what’s still on sale.
Merchant City Festival
The Merchant City Festival returns as a flagship event of the Commonwealth Games summer, taking over the heart of the city across two weekends with street performance, live music and free outdoor events. No ticket needed – just turn up.
July in Glasgow doesn’t get much bigger than this. Got something we’ve missed? Drop it in the comments and we’ll add it to the list.
