Make a date in your diary if you like to dance with strangers (and friends).
The Kelvingrove Outdoor Ceilidh will take place on Sunday 1 June from 2pm to 4pm.
The event is part of the popular WestFest festival that returns for its third outing this summer - 1 June to 29 June - featuring street festivals, concerts, community events, workshops, and exhibitions across 60 venues and locations.
Favourites
Attendees can look forward to the return of some festival favourites such as The Big Sunday, Bard in the Botanics, the Glasgow Vintage Bus Tour and the ever-popular Kelvingrove Outdoor Ceilidh.
Last year’s WestFest comprised 131 events and an audience of 110,000 people, cementing it as Glasgow’s biggest community led, cultural festival.
Highlights of this year’s programme, just launched, include:
• Kelvingrove Outdoor Ceilidh – Sunday 1 June, 2–4pm
• Vinicombe Street Gala – Saturday 7 June, 12–4pm
• ARCeilidh & Dear Green Music Fest at University of Glasgow – Sunday 15 June, 12.30–7pm
• Midsummer Solstice Fire Show at Kelvingrove Galleries – Saturday 21 June, 9.30pm
• The Big Sunday on Kelvin Way – Sunday 29 June, 11am–4pm
WestFest’s Director is Brendon McIlroy who founded the festival in 2022 in response to ‘overwhelming demand’ for community and cultural events in the West End, in the absence of former festivals.
Brendon said: “It’s hard to believe WestFest is now in its’ third year and despite some alarming funding cuts across the arts and events sectors- the festival has managed to keep growing and is going from strength to strength.
“Last year it’s estimated that total attendance across our events was in excess of 110,000.
“For 2025 we are focusing on growing that number and developing our community events programme - producing and encouraging events all across the West of Glasgow, not just Hillhead as most would expect WestFest 2025 will see the return of the festival’s popular illustrated talks programme at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall in partnership with Glasgow850 - featuring over 20 free talks and workshops from some prominent west end voices.”
It’s hard to believe WestFest is now in its’ third year and despite some alarming funding cuts across the arts and events sectors- the festival has managed to keep growing and is going from strength to strength - Brendon McIlroy
Despite facing funding cuts and an uncertain climate for events and the arts, WestFest has been made possible this year due to support from partners such as National Lottery Communities Fund and Cala Homes - who are sponsoring The Big Sunday at Kelvin Way - a new large scale community event for this year.
The WestFest team will be launching this years’ festival brochure and website on Easter Sunday 20 April with a fabulous performance tour across the West End from the likes of Sambayabamba, Brass Aye? and Think Circus.
The team are inviting people from across Glasgow to come and join them to celebrate the launch of WestFest 2025.
Head to WestFest’s Facebook page for timings and details.
