CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

ARCadia Festival Of Ideas

ARCadia Festival of Ideas is a two-week celebration of the opening of the ARC. Featuring over 65 free, all-ages events hosted by UofG staff, students and community partners!

ARCadia Festival Of Ideas

About ARCadia Festival Of Ideas

The University’s newly-opened Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, or ARC, will play host next month to the ARCadia Festival of Ideas, featuring brass bands, a retro video game arcade, comedy and drag shows, an outdoor ceilidh, art exhibits, a virtual reality celebration of Robert Burns, and much more.

ARCadia, which runs from Friday 16 September until Friday 30 September, aims to establish the ARC as a significant contributor to everyday life in Glasgow’s west end.

The ground floor of the ARC, which will later this year include a café and restaurant, is open to the general public.

The ARC will play host to more than 65 free, all-ages events during the festival, hosted by students and staff from the University of Glasgow and community partners.

Those events include tours of the ARC during the Glasgow Doors Open weekend on September 17th and 18th, and a family-focused programme the weekend after. Local brass band, Brass, Aye? will perform in the ARC’s beautiful outdoor space on Sunday 18th.

The ARC will host events every evening, including movie screenings, comedy shows and live music for an adult audience. On the opening night, the atrium will be transformed into a cinema for a screening of 90s classic ‘Mars Attacks!’, followed by a discussion with scientists working on Martian research.

Local community groups will contribute to the festival, including childrens’ storytelling sessions curated by The Children’s Wood, hands-on stalls from Partick Community Growing Project and The Annexe Healthy Living Centre. Music collective Hen Hoose will curate an evening of music for the closing night.

The ARC will also platform voices from communities , who are underserved or underrepresented in universities, with events involving the Maryhill Integration Network, local charities, and the Africa in Motion Film Festival. There will also be events led by LGBTQ+ and Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater communities.

Many events will connect the public with the University of Glasgow’s world-leading research. The £116m Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, which sits on the site of the former Western Infirmary, is home to a multidisciplinary group of researchers tackling a whole range of global issues, from climate change to healthcare.

A wide range of research will be on show during the festival, including the University’s response to the pandemic. COVID 19: A Community Conversation' will create space for the university and local community to share their experiences of the pandemic, from personal stories to the research response. This will include a specially commissioned theatre piece and exhibition

Visitors can also expect to hear more about using quantum technologies to monitor healthcare, ultrasound, social robots, gender inequality in STEM, African film, fake news, blood borne virus research, the art of Whistler, Colombian river stories, dementia, the return of salmon to the river Clyde, healthy ageing, and palliative care.

To view the full ARCadia programme and book tickets, visit the ARCadia Festival of Ideas website.

Sponsored Links

Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel
Glasgow City Council
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Fayre Play
Open Pass Scotland
Children's Classic Concerts
King Pins

Other Events at Mazumdar Shaw Advanced Research Centre or The University of Glasgow

Historic Tours of Glasgow University

Selected dates between 7th January 2025 - 18th December 2025

Join a historic walking tour of the University of Glasgow the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world!

READ MORE

Houseplant Market - Glasgow

14th September 2025 - 18th September 2025

The Houseplant Market is returning to The University of Glasgow! Taking place outside the Main Building, near the Memorial Gates, for 5 days between 14th and 18th September!

READ MORE

Glasgow Film Screening: Teresita’s Dream: Cuba’s Battle Against Alzheimer’s

16th September 2025

Ahead of World Alzheimer's Day, don't miss the Scottish 'early look' screening of a compelling new documentary Teresita's Dream: Cuba's Battle Against Alzheimer's.

READ MORE

Language Taster: Traditional Flavors & Recipes in Catalonia, Spain & Italy

20th September 2025

Join The ARC for an interactive workshop to discover the origin and traditions around a selection of popular dishes enjoyed in each season of the year in Catalonia, Spain and Italy.

READ MORE

Doors Open Days: Researchers at Work: Tours of the ARC

20th September 2025 - 21st September 2025

Come along and see researchers in action! The ARC are hosting small group tours showcasing the world-class research going on in the centre.

READ MORE

Explorathon at Glasgow Doors Open Day

20th September 2025 - 21st September 2025

Dip into the fantastic research happening on your doorstep, with family-friendly activities and exhibits as part of the Scotland-wide Explorathon festival, in partnership with Glasgow Doors Open Days!

READ MORE

Superhero Science

21st September 2025

Ever wondered if superpowers could be real? Join The ARC's Agents of Awesome for Superhero Science to explore the amazing science behind superhuman abilities!

READ MORE

CinemARC: The Rugged Island

26th September 2025

Hosted at the ARC in collaboration with HippFest, Scotland’s silent film festival, join us for this special presentation of Jenny Gilbertson’s The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric from 1933.

READ MORE

CinemARC: The Secret of Kells

9th October 2025

CinemARC are screening the wonderful Irish animated film, The Secret of Kells, sure to be a hit with parents and children alike.

READ MORE

CinemARC: Borderzone III

17th October 2025

This screening will include the Sundance Award Winning film by Scottish filmmaker Theo Panagopolous, The Flowers Stand Silently Witnessing.

READ MORE

CinemARC: Sinners

30th October 2025

It's Halloween at the ARC and CinemaARC are showing a terrifying flick that you'll be dying to sink your teeth into on Thursday 30th October!

READ MORE

CinemARC: The Social Network

19th November 2025

CinemaARC presents this special screening of Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher's 2010 hit, The Social Network.

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

East Renfrewshire Culture
City Of Glasgow Chorus
Hilton Glasgow
Link
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Go Radio
ATG

Similar events you might like...

Maggies Rock N Rodeo Cowboy Ceilidh

Maggies Rock N Rodeo Cowboy Ceilidh

Selected dates between 10th January 2025 - 22nd November 2025

Get ready to go buck wild at Maggies Rock N Rodeo's sellout Cowboy Ceilidh - the wildest country party this side of Texas!

READ MORE
Bute Yard Market

Bute Yard Market

Selected dates between 6th April 2025 - 7th December 2025

Bute Yard is a food and drink hub and home to a monthly producer market which showcases the best local, artisan and craft fare on the Isle of Bute!

READ MORE
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Super Sundays

Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Super Sundays

Selected dates between 11th May 2025 - 7th September 2025

The Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust opens its Bridgeton Bus Garage to the public for their Super Sunday events throughout the year!

READ MORE
Balloch Indoor & Outdoor Market

Balloch Indoor & Outdoor Market

Selected dates between 31st May 2025 - 29th November 2025

Find everything from second-hand clothes to vintage treasures and unique collectibles at the monthly Balloch Indoor & Outdoor Market!

READ MORE
Day Fever Glasgow

Day Fever Glasgow

Selected dates between 19th July 2025 - 27th September 2025

DAY FEVER COMES TO GLASGOW! Yes, that's right! Day Fever, the Saturday daytime disco, that doesn't ruin your Sunday, is returning to BAaD!

READ MORE
DECADES - Beatles & Beyond with Itchycoo Park

DECADES - Beatles & Beyond with Itchycoo Park

Selected dates between 27th July 2025 - 2nd November 2025

Itchycoo Park are excited to announce a three set performance with a full set dedicated to one of the most influential bands of all time - The Beatles!

READ MORE
Disco Days Vs Dance Days

Disco Days Vs Dance Days

Selected dates between 30th August 2025 - 27th September 2025

Get ready to dance the day away with Scotland's beloved afternoon clubbing event, Disco Days Vs Dance Days!

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

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

Selected dates between 30th August 2025 - 13th December 2025

With its high-energy party atmosphere and top live DJs, The 30+ Club at the O2 Academy Glasgow is not to be missed!

READ MORE
Indie Beer Scotland

Indie Beer Scotland

5th September 2025 - 6th September 2025

Scotland's biggest independent craft beer festival featuring fresh cask beers and craft keg, plus cider & spirits from Scotland's best independent producers is returning to Glasgow in September!

READ MORE

Find other events in Glasgow

Sponsored Links

Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel
Glasgow City Council
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Fayre Play
Open Pass Scotland
Children's Classic Concerts
King Pins
East Renfrewshire Culture
City Of Glasgow Chorus
Hilton Glasgow
Link
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Go Radio
ATG

Popular Events

GlasGLOW
This Halloween season, the city we love turns 850 and GlasGLOW are throwing one GLOW-rious celebration with an all-new 60-minute blockbuster light and sound show at the Botanic Gardens!
Spooktacular
Glasgow's biggest Halloween experience returns this October, running from 3rd - 26th October, at a brand new location that promises to take the fright factor up a notch!
A Play, A Pie and A Pint Autumn Season
With wonderful musicals, hilarious comedies and thrilling dramas, there is plenty of great treats to tuck into this Autumn at A Play, A Pie and A Pint!
Jamie Hutchinson: Can My Mate Come? He’s Sound
Jamie Hutchinson returns with Can My Mate Come? He's Sound. A brand-new hour of unfiltered comedy, mad stories, and chaotic charm. Older? Yes. Wiser? No. He's sound... Sort of.
A Bird’s Eye View: An Immersive Journey Through 850 Years of Glasgow
Blending myth, memory, and plenty of Glaswegian gallusness, this immersive walking tour from Walking Tours In Glasgow swoops through 850 years of history!

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