SCOTLAND’S biggest annual celebration of bagpipes welcomed more than 30,000 attendees and drew to a close with an evening of folk music held in one of the city’s most notable venues.
Over the nine-day run, free shows were held across Glasgow for the annual Piping Live! festival, which saw a variety of acts play at some of the most loved venues in the city, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Crowds were treated to daily headliners on the newly created centre stage, which featured Beinn Lee, the modern folk group Assynt, Inverness-based Cala, and the acclaimed piper and composer Malin Lewis.
A fitting end to the festival, Ali Levack Big Band and Falasgair, performed to a 500-strong crowd at Saint Luke’s.
Levack, who previously came through the festival’s emerging talent programme, said: “The gig was great, Saint Luke’s is such an impressive venue, and we were absolutely delighted to be playing to such a full crowd.”
The record-breaking Big Band showcase saw over 200 pipers and drummers march in Glasgow’s west end in aid of this year’s chosen charity partner, Eilidh’s Trust.
Founded in memory of the late young piper Eilidh Macleod, who died in the Manchester Arena attacks in 2017, funds raised will go towards the charity’s work funding creative arts activities.
The year’s festival was supported by around 50 volunteers and musicians from as far as Ukraine and Australia performed. Many of those who took part in the festival also competed in the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green on Friday and Saturday.
With proceedings wrapped up for another year, artistic director for Piping Live!, Finlay MacDonald said: “A huge thanks to each person who made it such a successful year - from the hugely talented performers who travelled far and wide to be here, our dedicated organisers and volunteers, our funders and sponsors, and everyone who attended any of our events - we are beyond grateful to everyone for the support.”
“We’re already beginning to plan for 2026 and look forward to building upon our mission to enrich lives through piping, highlight Scotland’s cultural impact on a national level and to show that piping and drumming is open to people of all ages and abilities.”
