WHAT IS GLASGAY! INTRODUCTION
EVENT DETAILS
Glasgay! is Scotland's annual celebration of LGBT culture. It is an annual arts festival founded in 1993 and incorporated as GALA Scotland Ltd in 1995. The Company operates from its Glasgow city centre base at 27-29 Trongate, located in the heart of the Merchant City and a growing cultural quarter.
The Glasgay! festival is presented annually from mid-October to midNovember. The festival presents a professional programme of top acts and new artists with events spanning comedy, music, film, theatre, visual art, performance art, literature, club nights, education events, community celebrations. The programme is a balance of both popular and esoteric work. The festival enjoys a high press profile garnering upwards of £500k of col cm’s in advertising equivalent spend.
EVENT OVERVIEW The festival is led by Producer, Steven Thomson, who has since his appointment has grown the festival from a small fortnight long festival to a month long celebration at nearly 20 venues now attracting up to 25,000 visitors. The festival enjoys regular public funding, increased private sponsorship, and has a diverse income base. The festival continues to be a strong seasonal player for Glasgow, generating £1.2 million of economic impact in a key shoulder season. The festival attracts up to 44% of its audience as overnight/short stay visitors.
PAST ARTISTS In its 20 year history the festival has worked with many of the top gay and lesbian artists in the world. Artists such a Sir Ian McKellan, Craig Hill, Jackie Kay, Neil Bartlett, Bette Bourne, Penny Arcade, Annie Sprinkle, Robert Pacitti, Ursula Martinez, Lois Weaver, Tim Miller, Horse MacDonald, Diamanda Galas, Alan Carr, Scott Capurro, Pam Ann, Four Poofs and a Piano, Lypsinka amongst many others.