CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

Merchant City Festival reveals fun filled 2022 programme

This year's festival will present four world premieres, four Scottish premieres and showcase over 200 events!

Merchant City Festival reveals fun filled 2022 programme

Article Source: Merchant City Festival
Last Updated: 9 June 2022 10:10

Merchant City Festival has launched its programme for this year’s exciting long weekend of entertainment.

Taking place from Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st July 2022, this much-loved festival will showcase outdoor arts, circus, dance and more – with events happening in and around the streets and venues of the Merchant City area of Glasgow. It is delivered by Glasgow Life, the charity that inspires people to lead richer and more active lives through culture and sport.

Aside from the show-stopping programme of entertainment taking place across the four days, the ever-popular Merchant City Festival markets are back for the first time since 2019, offering a craft and makers market and some food stalls. The iconic Merchant City Craft Fair, the oldest in the city, will make its way outdoors especially for this year’s festival.

The Carnival Party will kick the festival off in style on Thursday 28 July from 4pm-8pm, with dancers and musical performances. This incredible spectacle, where Baroque meets Hip Hop, is the culmination of a three-month community outreach programme that has worked with a host of dance and community groups across the city.

Exhilarating sing-along and dance-along screenings, which are being run by Dance HQ, will take place in the iconic Grand Hall in Glasgow’s City Halls each day of the festival. Children’s favourite Encanto will be shown on Thursday 28 July and Sunday 31 July, with Sing 2 being shown on Friday 29 July and a screening of Trolls being shown on Saturday 30 July. Children can expect a small gift on arrival and dressing up is encouraged.

Aside from the big sing-along, there will also be family discos and family cèilidhs for the whole family to enjoy across the weekend.

On opening night, Glaswegian comedy act, Big Angie will make her live comedy debut, with a feisty show all about men, Botox, big lips, and the law. From her youth spent in Glasgow’s East End to her tales of growing up, this show will be full of confessions you don’t want to miss.

There will also be music taking place in Merchant Square each night of the festival, with entertainment from a DJ, a tribute act, a jazz piano recital, a vocalist group, and a family cèilidh.

On Friday 29 July, the festival will have a strong family focus, with a full programme in Merchant Square in partnership with the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival.

This will include The Happiness Collectors; an audio-immersive and interactive live performance ideal for children aged 5-10 and their families. Each audience member will be provided with their own set of wireless headphones so they can join in on a journey of sounds and silliness to learn the best ways to collect happiness – and most important of all, how to pass it on.

Walkabout in Merchant City will have amazing acts around Merchant Square and the surrounding streets on the Friday as part of the family day, with the likes of Kate E. Deeming, Glasgow’s resident dancing queen, leading the grooves as the Boogie Unicorn when she brings her fun, interactive, feel-good dance session for all ages to the festival.

The UNBOSI Marble Awareness Roadshow, runs in George Square from Friday to Sunday. This giant marble run installation will include interactive marble run making and giant marble run machines. UNBOSI will be attempting a Guinness World Record on Sunday 31 July, with super-charged marbles.

Friday night will see the Hip Replacement Club Night return to the festival when it takes over the Old Fruitmarket. Since 2010, Hip Replacement has been filling the disco void with four and a half hours of top tunes at their monthly club. Revelers can dance themselves dizzy and everyone is guaranteed disco fun on a grand scale.

The festival will also welcome two of the most exciting outdoor arts companies to the city for their Scottish premieres. Joli Vyann bring their breathtaking acro-dance show Timeless to George square across the weekend, when four dancers interact with a monumental rotating hourglass to explore the themes of time and climate change. Leading Choreographer Jeanefer Jean Charles will also bring Black Victorians to the festival, a powerful dance piece based on recently discovered photo portraits of people of colour in the UK from the nineteenth century.

Meanwhile on Saturday and Sunday, Hurricane Group (FISE) will present BMX Freestyle Flatland demonstrations live in George Square. The riders will perform a dynamic combination of art, sport and acrobatics to the backdrop of a live DJ and MC. Watch as some of the top riders in Europe showcase technical tricks and stunts. The athletes will host free BMX Freestyle clinics across the weekend giving spectators a unique chance to get involved. In the summer of 2023 BMX will be returning to Glasgow as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships when the best riders in the world will compete at Kelvingrove Park as part of the Urban World Championships.

Saturday and Sunday will also showcase a full outdoor programme from Scotland’s outdoor arts agency Surge, alongside an evening multimedia theatre performance entitled ‘The Love Supreme Roadshow’ at the Old Fruitmarket. This unique show uses a mix of physical theatre, clown, puppetry, projection mapping, live streaming, animation, and surround sound to immerse the audience.

And a special performance from Scotland-based Jamaican singer-songwriter iBrina and her world-class ensemble of musical friends will take place on the Saturday and Sunday night at City Halls. Originally scheduled as part of Celtic Connections 2022, these two nights of entertainment will celebrate the rich cultural tapestry of modern Scotland, through stories of migration, displacement, joy, and humanity. These performances are supported by EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

Councillor Eva Bolander, Chair of the Merchant City Festival Committee, said: “This year’s programme spotlights emerging and established talent as the streets once again come to life with a vibrant and diverse mix of music, outdoor theatre, cabaret, circus, dance, and carnival. It’s a fantastic line-up of events and I would encourage everyone to come along and join the celebrations.”

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: “The Merchant City Festival is always a showstopper in Glasgow’s summer events programme. The familiar streets and businesses in the city’s renowned cultural quarter are transformed into a thriving arts space filled with wonderful entertainment for every kind of audience. This year’s programme offers the opportunity to enjoy outstanding performances and family events, explore food and crafts or simply soak up the music and joyful atmosphere in one of the many local restaurants and cafes. As always, the Merchant City Festival promises to be unmissable for local people and visitors alike.”

Most events will be free to attend. For ticketing information and the full programme, visit merchantcityfestival.com

Sponsored Links

Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Tea Green
Renfrewshire Council
Open Pass Scotland
City Of Glasgow Chorus
The Quay
Hilton Glasgow

Latest Glasgow News

BTS fans take the spotlight in latest K Pop documentary heading to Vue

BTS fans take the spotlight in latest K Pop documentary heading to Vue

BTS Army: Forever We Are Young, a brand-new documentary celebrating the fans that helped catapult 21st century pop icons BTS into global stardom comes to Vue.

READ MORE
Plenty of summer family fun at Vue venues across Scotland

Plenty of summer family fun at Vue venues across Scotland

Family favourites and animated adventures are heading to the big screen this summer holiday at Vue venues across Scotland.

READ MORE
CUPP launches brand new Boba Cafe Kiosk at Silverburn

CUPP launches brand new Boba Cafe Kiosk at Silverburn

CUPP, the cult-favourite boba tea brand known for its viral drinks and dedicated following, is opening an all-new Boba Café Kiosk in Silverburn.

READ MORE
Tenement Trail Festival Artist Announcement

Tenement Trail Festival Artist Announcement

Scotland’s multi-venue festival for music discovery, is back for 2025 with a first wave of 30+ unmissable artists including Manchester’s Pale Waves.

READ MORE
Topgolf launches exclusive experience inspired by The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Topgolf launches exclusive experience inspired by The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The limited-time experience is the first-of-its-kind at Topgolf Glasgow in collaboration with Marvel Studios!

READ MORE
SAY Award opens submissions for eligible albums

SAY Award opens submissions for eligible albums

Scotland’s national music prize – the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award – has opened submissions for 2025’s £20,000 prize.

READ MORE
Zander Murray to host Pride events in Glasgow

Zander Murray to host Pride events in Glasgow

Scotland's first openly gay professional footballer is set to headline Pride events at The Social Hub Glasgow.

READ MORE
Glasgow Fort unveils 20th anniversary artwork created by local school pupils

Glasgow Fort unveils 20th anniversary artwork created by local school pupils

Artwork to celebrate the centre's 20th anniversary was officially unveiled at Glasgow Fort last week.

READ MORE
Glaschu announces two further exclusive dinners with chef Brian Maule

Glaschu announces two further exclusive dinners with chef Brian Maule

Glaschu, one of Glasgow's most established fine dining restaurants, will join forces once again with acclaimed chef, Brian Maule for two nights in August.

READ MORE
Cineworld announces 1 pound Family Films all summer long

Cineworld announces 1 pound Family Films all summer long

Cineworld has today announced £1 Family Films, running every week from July 25, so that families can be more childish together all summer long.

READ MORE
Great value summer holiday activities at Dobbies Garden Centres

Great value summer holiday activities at Dobbies Garden Centres

This summer, gather the whole family and head to Dobbies Garden Centres for a day of fun-filled activities that will keep costs down.

READ MORE
The Big Sunday on Kelvin Way: A Brand New Street Festival for 2025

The Big Sunday on Kelvin Way: A Brand New Street Festival for 2025

This Sunday sees the arrival of a brand-new community event for 2025: The Big Sunday on Kelvin Way!

READ MORE
Take Me Somewhere Festival unveils 3 powerful performances ahead of full festival announcement

Take Me Somewhere Festival unveils 3 powerful performances ahead of full festival announcement

Three powerful performances by internationally acclaimed artists Dan Daw, Cherish Menzo and collective MEXA are revealed, in anticipation of full festival announcement on Tuesday 29th July.

READ MORE
Free travel for Armed Forces Day

Free travel for Armed Forces Day

First Bus offers free travel to all current serving members, veterans and cadets for Armed Forces Day celebrations across its network.

READ MORE
FREE family festival at Loch Lomond Shores returns on 5th and 6th July

FREE family festival at Loch Lomond Shores returns on 5th and 6th July

Summerfest, the FREE family festival at Loch Lomond Shores, is back on the 5th and 6th of July with lots of things to see and do!

READ MORE
Play more, spend less at Topgolf Glasgow this Summer

Play more, spend less at Topgolf Glasgow this Summer

Topgolf Glasgow is dialling up the fun with a fresh range of value offers launching throughout the summer, helping players maximise their experience by giving them more for less!

READ MORE
11 year old Rachel Ronnie to take centre stage with the launch of a Busk Stop at Buchanan Galleries

11 year old Rachel Ronnie to take centre stage with the launch of a Busk Stop at Buchanan Galleries

Aspiring young buskers are invited to step into the spotlight and perform to hundreds of shoppers this summer in a safe and welcoming indoor space.

READ MORE
Cast announced for landmark Citizens Theatre homecoming production Small Acts of Love

Cast announced for landmark Citizens Theatre homecoming production Small Acts of Love

The Citizens Theatre has revealed the full cast for Small Acts of Love, the first production to be performed on the theatre's home stage in more than seven years when it reopens later this year.

READ MORE
Sunday mornings just got a lot more interesting...

Sunday mornings just got a lot more interesting...

El Perro Negro is bringing back its cult-favourite Breakfast Club menu. And this time, it's popping up once a month at the award-winning Woodlands Road restaurant - starting 29th June!

READ MORE
Talent shines at 39th edition of Glasgow Jazz Festival

Talent shines at 39th edition of Glasgow Jazz Festival

The curtain has closed on the 39th edition of Glasgow Jazz Festival, reaffirming its place as one of the UK's premier and much-loved jazz events.

READ MORE
ParalympicsGB athlete Stephen Clegg visits Cadder Primary School for special workshop

ParalympicsGB athlete Stephen Clegg visits Cadder Primary School for special workshop

ParalympicsGB athlete Stephen Clegg made a special appearance at Cadder Primary School to help deliver an exciting workshop on the importance of energy saving in partnership with British Gas.

READ MORE
Earlybird tickets drive buzz for 2026 Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show

Earlybird tickets drive buzz for 2026 Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show

The biggest show of its kind in Scotland returns with Earlybird tickets and a give-away with headline sponsor Border Caravans!

READ MORE
July events at Dobbies Garden Centres

July events at Dobbies Garden Centres

Check out July at Dobbies with it's Little Seedlings Club on rainforests and Grow How on pest control and healthy gardens!

READ MORE
Guts UK, the national digestive charity, brings interactive awareness event to Glasgow

Guts UK, the national digestive charity, brings interactive awareness event to Glasgow

Guts UK and Colin the Colon, a giant, walk-through inflatable replica of a colon will be in Glasgow to raise vital awareness of digestive health conditions.

READ MORE
Historic Environment Scotland calls for public stories for national wellbeing exhibition

Historic Environment Scotland calls for public stories for national wellbeing exhibition

Historic Environment Scotland is calling for people across the country to connect with heritage to boost their wellbeing as a part of a national campaign, Historic Places, Breathing Spaces.

READ MORE
Chef Modou Diagne to open new restaurant TRUST in Glasgow

Chef Modou Diagne to open new restaurant TRUST in Glasgow

Critically acclaimed chef Modou Diagne, known for his innovative approach and celebrated success at 111 by Nico, is set to open his second Glasgow restaurant this summer.

READ MORE
Poets line up for special Refugee Festival Scotland event

Poets line up for special Refugee Festival Scotland event

An inspiring event celebrating togetherness, diversity and human connection is set to be staged in Glasgow this week as part of Refugee Festival Scotland 2025.

READ MORE
Soulful start for Glasgow Jazz Festival

Soulful start for Glasgow Jazz Festival

The 39th edition of Glasgow Jazz Festival gets off to a soulful start today as it opens at venues across the city, officially kicking off five extraordinary days of music.

READ MORE
Aldi Supermarket Sweep is coming to Glasgow

Aldi Supermarket Sweep is coming to Glasgow

Aldi Scotland’s Supermarket Sweep challenge is back again for another year, giving customers in Glasgow the chance to raise funds for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).

READ MORE
Casting Announced for FRIENDS! The Musical Parody coming to Edinburgh and Glasgow

Casting Announced for FRIENDS! The Musical Parody coming to Edinburgh and Glasgow

Today, the producers of the 2025/26 UK and Ireland tour of FRIENDS! The Musical Parody are delighted to announce casting for the side-splitting musical comedy.

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

East Renfrewshire Culture
Media Shop
Fayre Play
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow Music City Tours
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Go Radio

Sponsored Links

Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Tea Green
Renfrewshire Council
Open Pass Scotland
City Of Glasgow Chorus
The Quay
Hilton Glasgow
East Renfrewshire Culture
Media Shop
Fayre Play
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow Music City Tours
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Go Radio

Popular Events

Summer Nights at the Bandstand
The Summer Nights at the Bandstand festival returns to Kelvingrove Park for a tenth year with 13 nights of live music from elbow, Billy Ocean, Hue And Cry, Teenage Fanclub and many more!
FREE Open Air Cinema at QPA
Open-air cinema returns to Queen's Park Arena this summer with a selection of 'Cults & Classics' themed films!
Bard in the Botanics
Bard in the Botanics are delighted to be returning to Glasgow Botanic Gardens for Summer 2025 with their 'magic - mayhem - and murder' season!
Catfish and The Bottlemen
Multi-platinum-selling, BRIT Award-winning, arena-filling giants Catfish and the Bottlemen have announced a huge show at Glasgow Green on 9th July with special guests The Wombats and The Fratellis!
Big Nights Out
Big Nights Out is an exciting new summer concert series taking place in Glasgow across two of the city's iconic outdoor bandstands featuring Arab Strap, Camera Obscura, Midge Ure, 10cc and more!

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