Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2025 is officially underway, running from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st September, with Scotland’s largest free heritage and community event inviting locals and visitors to explore the architecture, culture and hidden stories that have shaped the city over 850 years.
This year’s festival forms part of the wider Glasgow 850 celebrations, marking the city’s 850th anniversary, and carries the theme ‘Glasgow: The Visionary City’, celebrating the visionaries, ideas and spaces that have driven Glasgow’s creativity, culture and innovation through the centuries.
Organised by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and generously supported by Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Heritage Trust and Glasgow Life, the festival features over 180 open buildings, guided tours, talks, workshops, exhibitions, performances and family-friendly activities.
The festival was officially launched at the newly reopened Citizens Theatre, a seven-year restoration project bringing one of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings back to the community.
The theatre also features as a highlight of this year’s behind-the-scenes guided tours, which was enjoyed by the Lord Provost, Jacqueline McLaren, ahead of the festival getting underway.
The Lord Provost said: “Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is about more than just exploring buildings – it’s about empowering people to feel a sense of ownership and pride in their city.
“We want everyone who takes part to feel: ‘You are part of this. This city belongs to you.’
“This is one of my favourite festivals. It’s such a joyful invitation to step inside the stories of Glasgow.
“This year’s theme, Glasgow: The Visionary City, invites everyone to walk or wheel into the city’s buildings, explore its history, and get inspired by Glasgow itself.
“That’s exactly what this festival is all about – connecting people to place, to the past and to possibility.”
Over the next four days, visitors will have the chance to explore iconic landmarks and hidden gems across the city, including the newly transformed Citizens Theatre, the usually closed St Vincent Street Church, the private art deco Kelvin Court flats, and ongoing restoration work at Govanhill Baths.
At the heart of the festival will be the Festival Hub at the Advanced Research Centre (ARC) at the University of Glasgow, where a programme of free exhibitions, talks, films, workshops and family-friendly events will run throughout the weekend.
The festival has partnered with the National Trust for Scotland to spotlight ‘Mackintosh Illuminated’, celebrating the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald.
With a commitment to accessibility and sustainability, organisers have also worked with Glasgow Disability Alliance and Bike for Good to promote active travel and inclusive exploration through the mobile cycling exhibition, ‘The Air We Breathe’, highlighting improvements to the city’s air quality.
Tickets for Glasgow Doors Open Days 2025 are still available. To book and explore the full programme, visit: www.glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk or follow the event on Instagram or Facebook.
Issued on behalf of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival by Tigerbond. For more information, and to request an interview, please contact:
Sophie Wallace
sophie.wallace@tigerbond.com
Karen Devine
karen.devine@tigerbond.com
About Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival
Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is an annual event celebrating the city's architecture, culture, and heritage through a free programme of open buildings and events taking place between 18-21 September 2025.
The festival was pioneered by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, with the first ever Doors Open Days event delivered in 1990 and has since then formed part of
Scotland’s contribution to European Heritage Days taking place throughout Europe in September. The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust continues to deliver Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival to this day and are proud to be part of a family of Doors Open Days events taking place across Scotland throughout September, coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust.
Follow Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival on Instagram, and Facebook or at glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk.
About Glasgow Building Preservation Trust
Founded in 1982, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust is a charity that works to repair and repurpose historic buildings by converting them for viable new uses. Since its inception, the organisation has saved more than 30 buildings, including landmark church St Andrew’s in the Square in 2000, Kelvingrove Bandstand in 2014 and most recently, Glasgow Green’s West Boathouse in 2022.
Follow Glasgow Building Preservation Trust Facebook, Bluesky, YouTube or at gbpt.org.
About Glasgow City Heritage Trust
Established in 2007, Glasgow City Heritage Trust champions the city’s unique architecture and built environment and promotes and encourages the understanding, appreciation and conservation of Glasgow’s historic buildings for the benefit of the city’s communities and its visitors, now and in the future.
Every year we help to fund important conservation projects across Glasgow, and deliver talks, walks and events to encourage people to gain a better understanding of our historic buildings and places.
Glasgow City Heritage Trust is an independent charity supported by Glasgow City Council and Historic Environment Scotland. Find out more about us and join our mailing list at glasgowheritage.org.uk.
About Glasgow Life
Glasgow Life is a charity working for the benefit of the people of Glasgow. We believe everyone deserves a great Glasgow life and we find innovative ways to make this happen across the city’s diverse communities.
Our programmes, experiences and events range from grassroots community activities to large-scale cultural, artistic and sporting events which present Glasgow
on an international stage. Our work is designed to promote inclusion, happiness and health, as well as support the city’s visitor economy, in order to enhance Glasgow’s mental, physical and economic wellbeing.
For more information, see glasgowlife.org.uk.
