2025 Merchant City Festival attracts 40,000 people

Around 40,000 people flocked to arts, comedy, circus, dance and live music performances during Glasgow’s 2025 Merchant City Festival.

The three-day event featured a packed line-up of local, national and international entertainers who put on stirring shows in the streets and venues of the Merchant City from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 July.

The Merchant City Festival is delivered by Glasgow Life, the charity which leads culture, events and active living in Glasgow.

Among the most popular street theatre shows were international acrobat company Be Flat, aerial duo Now and Then and dance piece Exposed: From Clubs to Open Air. The street theatre programme was delivered by Surge Festival and supported by a Four Nations Bursary set up to help artists create new outdoor works.

Large crowds also turned out to support musical acts like indie-pop duo Sacred Paws, singer-songwriter kitti and community band Brass, Aye? at The Social Hub Stage, programmed by Surge in partnership with 432 Presents.

The 2025 Merchant City Festival began with a day of music, storytelling and a mass participation ceilidh which saw people dance up and down Brunswick Street as part of Glasgow’s 850th birthday celebrations. Performances by Scottish Ballet and The Absurdist Pipers proved a hit, as did giant puppet carnival performers from Bridgeman Arts.

The Glasgow 850 programme, celebrating the 850 years since the city gained Burgh status in 1175, was also marked by a St Teneu poetry competition awards event at the Tron Theatre. Other Glasgow 850 celebrations at this year’s Merchant City Festival included Through the Ages walking tours of the Cathedral Precinct and High Street, and Glasgow Women’s Library-guided walks.

The Saturday and Sunday saw event sponsor Merchant Square host free family days featuring daily ceilidhs, crafts with the Prom Pom Queen and activities led by Unicorn Dance Party. There were also thrilling performances from 1, 2, 3 Resilient Mushrooms! involving ceilidh dancing, physical storytelling and traditional Scottish music. The family day sessions were programmed in partnership with Imaginate and Edinburgh International Children’s Theatre.

The Wheel See free pop-up show lit up Merchant Square with movement and joy on the Saturday and Sunday, as 20 professional dancers on bikes stopped to perform during a tour that also took in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Queen’s Park.

On Sunday, people were given a chance to play grand pianos in the grand settings of the City Halls and Merchant Square thanks to a Lids Open Day and Night event with Glasgow Piano City.

The Social Hub Stage – named after fellow sponsor The Social Hub – held a series of pulsating performances across the weekend, from midday well into the evening.

Stars of Glasgow’s and Scotland’s music scene such as electronic pop-producer and singer-songwriter Possibly Jamie and electrifying party starters Lezzer Quest hyped up the crowd on the Saturday night. Jazz, blues and samba seven-piece The Jack Ruby 5 and Zimbabwean DJ Elanda were among the acts who kept the party going throughout the day and night on Sunday, before the weekend was rounded off with a combined set from Vixen Sound, Dougie No Pain (Mungo’s Hi Fi) and Wend.

Throughout the weekend, festivalgoers made the most of the chance to try food from around the world at stalls run by the team at Glasgow’s Dockyard Social, while the Merchant City Festival’s craft and gift markets also proved popular.

Julie Edwin, Director of Asset Management at Merchant Square, said: “We are proud to once again support the Merchant City Festival, a vibrant celebration we’ve been part of for over a decade. Merchant Square was buzzing throughout the weekend, with a packed programme of family entertainment during the day and a lively ceilidh every evening, all taking place in our historic courtyard. It was the perfect setting for music, dancing, and bringing people together. Alongside the festival events, Merchant Square offered guests a fantastic choice of places to eat, drink, and play. With the new venues we've recently added to our line-up and something for everyone to enjoy, it was one of our most exciting festival weekends yet.”

Ben McLeod, General Manager at The Social Hub Glasgow, said: “It was an incredible weekend. We love being part of the Merchant City community, and it was a privilege to be at the heart of a family-friendly event so full of fun. We hosted an incredibly talented and diverse line-up on The Social Hub Stage, and the energy from both the performers and the audience really made it. To be part of the city’s 850th celebrations elevated the event, and it was a joy to witness Glasgow’s culture, creativity, and communities coming together in such a special way.”

The Merchant City Festival was one of seven successful Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding 2025-28 applications made by Glasgow Life.

Creative Scotland confirmed on 30 January 2025 this year’s Merchant City Festival will receive £62,834 of funding, with the event benefitting from £227,167 of multi-year funding between 2025 and 2028.

Lorna Duguid, Multi-Artform Manager at Creative Scotland, said: “In this landmark year marking Glasgow’s 850th birthday, it’s fantastic to see the continued popularity and strong public support for the Merchant City Festival, a much-loved highlight of the city’s summer calendar. With a vibrant programme offering something for all ages, and as a recent recipient of Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland, the festival remains a vital platform for Scottish artists to showcase their work and connect with audiences right in the heart of Glasgow.”