Silent Sunday – 27 July

Glorious Glasgow. Sigh.

 

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Let’s celebrate. Glasgow 2014 is here!

Hooray! The wait is over – it’s time to start the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

With so much happening across the city and blissful blue skies – surely it’s wrong to stay in. So if you fancy watching the opening ceremony, there’s still time to join a party happening across the city.

Glasgow Green Live Zone

Revel in the start of Commonwealth Games on the Glasgow Green Live Zone with thousands, including a few famous friends like LuLu, Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle and many more. And every seat is a good one with a MASSIVE screen revealing all. Tickets are £10-20 for this event. But there’s plenty of free fun and frolic happening on the Zone over the course of the Games too.

The Brunswick Stage

Grab a bit to eat, get a drink and take in some live music before the Merchant City beams the Opening Ceremonies to their Brunswick Street screen. Free – but come early to claim your spot.

All around the ‘toon’

There’s quite literally something happening everywhere – check out screens across the many venues across the city like West Brewery,  Sloans and Drygate. And more!

 The Old Fruitmarket

Want to dance the night away? Get yourself to Old Fruitmarket to watch the opening ceremony and after enjoy live music from Boomerang – including 21 artists from around the world. Tickets (18+) are £10.

Join a party. Make your own party. Because wherever you celebrate, it’s going to be magical, unforgettable and with the added shine shine – even a little hot.

– B

Silent Sunday – 20 July

Take a sideways glance at something wonderful…

On yer bike!

One million people are about to flood into the city for the Commonwealth Games. It’s going to get crazy! But you don’t have to.

‘Gordon’s gears’ for all

Leave the car behind, get off that stuffy bus and get on your bike. And no excuses – because Next City Bikes make it possible for everyone. There are 400 bikes located throughout a lot of city, including six temporary stations near Commonwealth venues.

Easy peasy

Their easy-to-use app showed us where bikes were located and how many were available.

After uploading £10 for our starting credit, we unlocked the bikes and were on our way.

I’m admittedly a little leery about biking in a city not always known for its bike friendliness. So rather than taking on the city-centre first time out, we opt for a quieter route.

Great views and new discoveries

We start out on the tip of the Merchant City on Bell Street and make our way to Glasgow Green. Nothing but great views. And not an angry driver or pedestrian in sight. In fact, we get a lot of smiles.

Maybe it’s the People Makes Glasgow logo beaming from the back of our bikes – or perhaps it has more to do with our own enormous grins. Either way it’s delightful. Perfect sunshine and a pit-stop for ice-cream are added perks.

It’s amazing the things that you discover on a bike. Ice-cream in the park, a little pond with ducks and radio control boat enthusiasts. Who knew!

Don’t be constrained by a few extra bodies in city.  Jump on a bike to get around effortlessly, efficiently and discover new wonderful things.

– T

Silent Sunday – 13 July

Watch for lovely things popping up all over Glasgow…

Silent Sunday – 6 July

Get out of that car, off that bus and ditch the bike…

@RiversideMuseum

Fun springs up in the most unusual places

Not long now until the city is transformed into the Glasgow 2014 sports extravaganza. Along with floods of athletes, unique arts events are popping up in the most unusual places.

 Look up, look down – and go with the flow

Discover Perch Carnival on 19 and 20 July. Involving aerial performers, an 86 strong orchestra and a cast of 200, this elevated performance promises to be spectacular. Get your tickets (£6 + £8 at the Arches.

There’s also lots of fab free fun like the Glasgow Film Theatre’s Cargo, Camera, ACTION. On 26 July join musicians, circus performers, artists and filmmakers on the banks of the Clyde for a cinematic take-over. Check out one of five performances happening – each featuring a different band. Tickets are free but you need to book.

The River. Picture credit: Frank McElhinney

Catch Barrowland Ballet’s The River on 20 and 21 July in the Briggait and down by the banks of the Clyde.

150 performers will take you on a beautiful journey through dance, live music and song. Tickets are also free but you need to book.

And these are only some of the many fun-filled arts escapades happening throughout the city alongside the Games. Check out Glasgow 2014 for a full look at all you could be getting up to over the next few weeks.

Enjoy!

– B