Latest news with #GovanhillInternationalFestivalandCarnival
Glasgow Times
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Govanhill Festival parade to take place in Glasgow this Saturday
The parade will take place on Saturday, August 2, as part of the annual Govanhill International Festival and Carnival—an anti-racist festival designed to celebrate creativity, solidarity, and community. Now in its ninth year, the event continues to grow following its initial inception as a joyful response to racist attacks that took place in 2017. Read more: Famous Glasgow venue to transform into Wild West for new country music festival Almost a decade on, organisers say the event's anti-racist message remains a central focus of the festival. The carnival will run from 2pm to 4pm in Govanhill Park and is completely free to attend. The day will begin with a lively parade starting at the Victoria Road gates in Queen's Park and weaving through Victoria Road, Allison Street, Cathcart Road, and Calder Street before reaching the park. This year's parade will be led by Bloco Dardara's powerful drumming and the vibrant moves of the Latino Dance Project. In the park, visitors can expect to hear live music from Obia Sounds, Samba Sene & Diwan, Govanhill Voices, and Town Centre. The programme will feature Afro-Caribbean electric folklore and a fusion of mbalax and Afrobeat grooves. Govanhill People's Pantry will also be serving up 500 hot meals as part of a community meal celebrating the neighbourhood's diversity. Participating groups include Milk Cafe, Food Not Bombs, The Hidden Gardens, Kin Kitchen, and GAS. The event will also showcase the work of organisations such as Merry-go-round, Apparel Exchange, Milk, and Al-Khair, alongside festival producers Govanhill Community Baths Trust. Organisers promise plenty of activities for children, including kite-making, circus skills, inflatables, face painting, and the ever-popular parade unicorn. Read more: In pictures: Thousands enjoy Glasgow family festival Workshops for all ages will be available in the Protest and Play Zone, run by Glasgow Climate Action Hub (Southside). Visitors can try junkyard monster-making, t-shirt yarn bowl weaving, or stop-motion animation. Organisers are advising attendees to come prepared for all weather. Full programme information and details on how to book tickets can be found on the Govanhill Baths website.
Glasgow Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Govanhill festival returning to Glasgow for ninth year
The Govanhill International Festival and Carnival (GIFC) will run from August 1 until 10, celebrating creativity, solidarity, and community. The festival, which started in 2015 as a neighbourhood's response to local racial attacks, continues to hold a strong anti-racism stance. (Image: Karen Gordon) The opening weekend will feature a parade with samba, lion dancers, and street drumming, starting at Queen's Park and ending in Govanhill Park. For programme information and to book tickets, go to Read more: Diocese launch appeal after 'vicious acts of vandalism' at cemetery Simone Stewart, arts and heritage manager, said: 'Last year, as anti-immigration protests erupted across parts of England, here in Govanhill - Scotland's most diverse square mile, where more than eighty languages are spoken - thousands of people came together to march, sing and celebrate solidarity through our parade. "At a time when hatred was spilling onto the streets elsewhere, our working class, multicultural community showed what it means to build belonging." "That's why this year we've launched our Creative Neighbourhood Grants, giving local individuals, artists, networks and organisations the resources and the responsibility to create work that matters to their communities. "It's about creating public culture that is shared, representative and lasting - opening space for new voices, building relationships, skills and connections that go far beyond the festival itself.' The Creative Neighbourhood Grants commissioned projects like Govanhill's Got Talent, The Future is Written Queer, and Archiving Anti-Racism in Govanhill. The Govanhill Book Festival will return with talks from Nicola Sturgeon, Alycia Pirmohamed, Chris McQueer, and Martin O'Connor. Palestinian solidarity is a key theme, with a mini-festival of Palestinian art and various events highlighting its role in the struggle for liberation. The festival will also celebrate Irish roots, with various projects focused on working-class histories of migration, music, and language. The festival gathers people and ideas, hosting discussions and workshops on Glasgow's anti-racist history, Jewish anti-Zionism and resistance, and modern housing activism. The final day will host a multi-venue street music festival with live sets curated by SNACK Magazine, Duende, and Love Music Hate Racism.
