LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE

Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival

Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is an annual event celebrating the city's architecture, culture, and heritage through a free programme of open buildings and events taking place in September!

Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival

About Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival

We’re excited to announce this year’s festival theme: “We’re All Here”: Diversity & Diaspora.

Our focus will be on exploring how immigration and emigration have shaped Glasgow into the multicultural hub it is today. Cities are, by their nature, a cultural stramash—drawing in and pushing out people, ideas, skills, and traditions. This natural ‘push and pull’ is the breath that keeps our city alive.

The term ‘diaspora’ originates from the Greek language, meaning ‘to scatter’ and ‘to sow’. Over time, this term has been adopted to describe the dispersion of communities away from their homelands and places of origin. It evokes both the upheaval of migration, and within that, the seeds of new beginnings.

Multiculturalism is nothing new. Over the years, immigrants to Glasgow have come from near and far – some seeking refuge from religious persecution, poverty, famine or war, others searching for work or a better life. Walk the streets of Glasgow, and you’ll find an array of churches, chapels, synagogues, temples, gurdwaras and mosques – each built to serve growing new communities from Lewis to Lahore, and Donegal to Damascus. Just off Kelvingrove Park, is the Polish Social and Educational Society building, gifted by the city to Polish ex-forces personnel in recognition of their service in WW2. In Anderston, you can sample a pistachio latte in the Ottoman Coffee House, once home to the Society of Glasgow Musicians. Step inside Trongate 103 and enter the world of Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre – a truly unique experience featuring the work of Russian sculptor-mechanic, Eduard Bersudsky and theatre director Tatyana Jakovskaya. Each new community has left its mark on our city, and their contributions can be found in our buildings, place names, food, music, songs, and stories.

Outward migration from the city has also had an impact. The city’s population halved following the Second World War, the effects of which are still evident today. Some were dispersed to the new towns and estates, while others ventured further afield to Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, taking advantage of the ‘assisted migration schemes’. Known as the ‘ten-pound poms’, thousands moved abroad. Amongst them were the Young family of Cranhill. Two of their sons, Angus and Malcolm, went on to form the rock band AC/DC.

Experiences of navigating new cultures, languages, streets, and buildings, vary greatly but some things remain universal – a jolt of recognition in a familiar taste or sound, or the thrill of finding something new and excitingly alien. Musician David Byrne, who left for North America with his Glaswegian parents in 1954, has said of his experience of growing up in the US, “I felt like a bit of an outsider. But then I realised the world was made up of people who were all different. But we’re all here.”

In 2024, we invite you to explore how diaspora communities have significantly influenced Glasgow’s rich cultural heritage, both locally and globally.

Sponsored Links

Open Pass Scotland
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Glasgow Science Centre
Fayre Play
Renfrewshire Council
Hilton Glasgow
Tea Green

Similar events you might like...

Boozical Brunch

Boozical Brunch

Selected dates between 1st June 2024 - 14th December 2024

Get ready to party with everyone at the Grosvenor Picture Theatre when they host their epic Boozical Brunch film screenings with their fabulous friends at the Grosvenor Café!

READ MORE
Overs Disco by Day

Overs Disco by Day

Selected dates between 13th July 2024 - 28th December 2024

Expect all the best pop, funk, soul & house tunes to get you up on your feet at The Corinthian Club's Overs Disco by Day!

READ MORE
The 30+ Club - Daytime Clubbing for Over 30’s

The 30+ Club - Daytime Clubbing for Over 30’s

Selected dates between 14th September 2024 - 14th December 2024

After taking Ireland by storm with over 30,000 tickets sold, The 30+ Club is making its Scottish debut at O2 Academy Glasgow on Saturday 14th September!

READ MORE
Dance by Daylight with Bandeoke!

Dance by Daylight with Bandeoke!

Selected dates between 14th September 2024 - 28th December 2024

Arta proudly presents BANDEOKE with their new daytime event for 2024 Dance By Daylight!

READ MORE
Day Fever Glasgow

Day Fever Glasgow

Selected dates between 21st September 2024 - 30th November 2024

DAY FEVER COMES TO GLASGOW! Yes, that's right! Day Fever, the Saturday daytime disco, is returning to BAaD!

READ MORE
Boogie Days

Boogie Days

Selected dates between 22nd September 2024 - 24th November 2024

Oran Mor Glasgow announce their new day disco, Boogie Days, featuring the legendary DJ Yogi Haughton, one of the original Sub Club residents!

READ MORE
Swiftie Brunch

Swiftie Brunch

Selected dates between 5th October 2024 - 16th November 2024

Cure your post-ERAS TOUR sadness with the best daytime event for Taylor Swift fans, SWIFTIE BRUNCH at BAaD!

READ MORE
AJ Bell Great Scottish Run

AJ Bell Great Scottish Run

6th October 2024

The AJ Bell Great Scottish Run is an incredible weekend of running that includes a 10k & half marathon on Sunday 6th October and Junior & Mini event on Saturday 5th October!

READ MORE
Tramway Climate Day

Tramway Climate Day

6th October 2024

Get inspired to live a greener, more sustainable life by coming along to Tramway's inaugural Climate Day on Sunday 6th October!

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

City Of Glasgow Chorus
Glasgow's Leading Attractions
Tweetiepie Media
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Scottish Canals
East Renfrewshire Culture
Hilton Glasgow

Find other events in Glasgow

Sponsored Links

Open Pass Scotland
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Glasgow Science Centre
Fayre Play
Renfrewshire Council
Hilton Glasgow
Tea Green
City Of Glasgow Chorus
Glasgow's Leading Attractions
Tweetiepie Media
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Scottish Canals
East Renfrewshire Culture
Hilton Glasgow

Popular Events

Spooktacular
Scotland's beloved Halloween event, Spooktacular, is returning to Silverburn this Halloween season, for another year of frightening fun, and it’s bigger and better than ever before!
GlasGLOW
GlasGLOW will return to the city's Botanic Gardens for its seventh year with a nail-biting new Halloween adventure entitled GlasGLOW: Trick or Treat!
Glasgow Christmas Markets
Glasgow Winterfest will host two Christmas Markets in St Enoch Square and George Square this festive season... it's a winter wonderland right in the heart of the city!
A Play, A Pie and A Pint Autumn Season
A Play, a Pie and a Pint's Autumn season will return to Oran Mor on September 2nd with another twelve exciting plays celebrating their 20th anniversary!
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular
Beloved musical phenomenon Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular will embark on a World Tour in 2024 including a run at Glasgow's OVO Hydro in October!

Popular Listings

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum King's Theatre Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut O2 Academy Glasgow SEC Armadillo Theatre Royal Glasgow The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow The Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall The OVO Hydro