Merchant City: Past and Present Music Tour

Share musical memories on this guided walking tour of the musical hot spots - past and present - in Glasgow's East End and Merchant City. Walk the oldest streets of Glasgow and avoid the usual tourist trails. The tour features tall tales, funny stories and fond recollections of great gigs. Starting at The Clutha, one of Glasgow's best loved live music pubs, the tour covers cherished venues such as the mighty Barrowland Ballroom and the venerable Britannia Panopticon – Britain's oldest surviving music hall.

During the tour, hear the story of the veteran venues which have found a new lease of life; the fertile relationship between the city's visual arts community and its musicians; the legendary pubs frequented by folk music giants, and the newer, noisier upstarts that keep the grassroots scene growing. The tour finishes at the hip and happening Mono Café Bar.


You don't need to be a music expert to enjoy the tour and even if you are, you may still learn new things. Jam-packed with anecdotes, the tour is designed to show a different side of Glasgow to both visitors and locals. The Merchant City has proved to be a creative stamping ground for everyone from Stan Laurel to Billy Connolly, Simple Minds and Franz Ferdinand. Take a tour of the area and find out why.