UK AIDS Memorial Quilt
- Tickets
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Free - Drop-in - no ticket required
- Dates and times
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Saturday 12th - Sunday 27th Sept 2026
12:00pm
Open Wednesdays to Fridays 12pm to 5pm
Saturdays 12pm to 6pm
Sundays 12pm to 5pm
The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt comes to Tramway in autumn, its first ever display in Scotland.
It will be exhibited alongside archival material which traces the Scottish roots of the project, as well as the documentary film There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. It is free to visit and will be open for three weeks from 12 - 27 September 2026.
The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt consists of 42 quilts and 23 individual panels, representing over 384 individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. It is part of the world’s largest community art project, started in the USA in 1985 by activist Cleve Jones, commemorating friends, family and loved ones lost to AIDS. Individual panels were stitched together to create larger quilts, which were then shown outdoors as a form of protest to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
In the late 1980s, Scottish activist Alastair Hume visited San Francisco, where he witnessed an early display of the quilt. When Hume returned home to Edinburgh, he began coordinating the creation and display of a UK version, as many others did around the world.
In 2014, seven UK HIV support charities formed the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Partnership to conserve and display the quilt. Today it stands as an important reminder of those who were lost and of the fact that HIV and AIDS continue to affect people and communities today. While antiretrovirals have made it possible to live with HIV, access to this medication still varies dramatically across the globe.
The Tramway exhibition follows the display at the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern, in London, in June 2025, which was experienced by nearly 70,000 visitors over five days. As with the Turbine Hall, the Tramway display will include scheduled readings of the names of those commemorated in the Quilt.
Read our press release (7 Dec 2025)
Image courtesy of Waverley Care
Accessibility guides
Read the Accessibility Guide for Tramway on AccessAble
Large Print and Braille programme material available upon request.
Some performances may also be BSL interpreted, audio described or have further assistance available. Access information for individual events is included in their event listing.
Accessible toilets
Accessible toilets are available on all three levels of Tramway, and come equipped with handrails and emergency pull cords. Please contact Tramway prior to your visit if you have any additional requirements
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome. We can provide a bowl of water for an assistance dog. The assistance dog toilet area is located to the rear of the building.
Assistance dogs are allowed in the auditorium.
Wheelchair access
There is level access to all Tramway spaces and the cafe, with lift access to the upper spaces.
There are designated spaces for wheelchair users in the theatre.
Baby changing
Baby changing facilities are available on the ground floor
Baby feeding
Breastfeeding is welcome at Tramway
Cafe or restaurant
Full table service is not available. Food or drinks can be ordered at the counter and will be brought to the table.
No tables are permanently fixed. No chairs are permanently fixed.
Menus are hand held only, but are clearly presented in contrasting colours. Menus are not available in Braille.
Parking
On street only
Photography and video recording
At times, Glasgow Life will be on the premises to film and take photos.
The public are only permitted to record and take photos where explicit permission has been granted in advance.
Free wifi
There is free Wi-Fi available at Tramway, which you can access by registering through Facebook or an online form. Once registered, you can access free Wi-Fi whenever you are at Tramway.
Please note, Tramway does not offer a cloakroom or bag storage service. During large-scale and busy events bag searches may be in operation and bags larger than A3 size will not be admitted to the venue.
Location Map
Tramway is a post-industrial venue with a range of unique and versatile spaces, popular with private and corporate clients looking for a venue ‘with a difference’. Tramway is an ideal space for performances, exhibitions, private viewings, seminars, meetings and smaller scale functions.
Visit Tramway's venue hire web page to find out more.