Celebrate Glasgow's 850th birthday year with us

This is your last chance to win a pair of tickets to Clyde Chorus - Glasgow 850 signature music event in May.

To enter simply spot the three differences in our two Glasgow images below to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets.

Please email your name and three answers to staffnews@glasgow.gov.uk before Wednesday 23 April 2025

Are we at? - COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Congratulations to our two winners for March :David Warren and Ann-Marie Parker.

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to the exciting G850 Clyde Chorus music event taking place at the end of May (29-30 May). 

All you have to do is guess where we are in the two pictures below this month - from the choice.

Email your two answers to staffnews@glasgow.gov.uk before Wednesday 26 March 2025

Are we at: a) Pollok Country Park b) Glasgow Green c) George Square Answer B Glasgow Green
Are we at: a) The Tradeston Bridge (squiggly bridge) b) The Govan-Partick Bridge c) Glasgow Science Centre Answer C Glasgow Science Centre

WIN Comedy Festival tickets with Glasgow 850 - competition now CLOSED

Gray Matters: A Laugh for Glasgow's 850 years

Join Ashley Storrie, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd and Alan Bissett for three different performances as they use comedy to celebrate the life of Alasdair Gray as part of the Glasgow 850 celebrations.

2025 is not only a celebration of Glasgow becoming a burgh but what also would have been Alasdair Gray's 90th birthday as well as the fifth anniversary of the Alasdair Gray Archive.

Humour is a connective thread through much of Gray's work. This special event is part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and will be a must see.

Enter to win
We have two pairs of tickets up for grabs for this special event. 

For your chance to win a pair please tell us which special birthday Alasdair Gray would have been celebrating this year? 

Email your name and answer to staffnews@glasgow.gov.uk by Thursday 13 March 2025

Feburary's competitions - all now closed Show

March competition winners

Are we at? 

Congratulations to our two winners :David Warren and Ann-Marie Parker.

Answers

Answer B Glasgow Green
Answer C Glasgow Science Centre

February competition winners 

Clyde Chorus tickets
Last month we asked you to tell us where we were in Glasgow to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to Clyde Chorus and a limited-edition Glasgow 850 pin badge.

The two lucky winners drawn at random, who answered all four picture locations correctly, each winning a pair of tickets and a pin badge are Gillian Hamilton from Sandyroad Day Nursery and Billy Gould from NRS.

Sara Sheridan's book 
Our winner of the 'The Secrets of Blythswood Square' books and a limited-edition pin badges are Suzie Gribbin CED and Janice Smith, GCHSCP.

Where exactly are we in Glasgow?

1.  Image gallery carousel Guess where - Picture 1 Guess where - Picture 1 Play slides Pause slides Previous slide Next slide Show content 1 Show content 2 Item 1 of 2 Blue Lagoon at Queen Street A Glasgow institution. Italian born Ersilio Varese opened the first Blue Lagoon on Sauchiehall Street. 50 years ago in 1975.  An 80 seater Fish & Chip restaurant located closely to the top end of Buchanan Street, the shop was unique to Glasgow in an era in which the high streets were mobbed, shops were queued and at a time where very few fast food operators existed. Through hard work the restaurant became an instant hit with the Glasgow public upon opening its doors. There are currently 9 branches across our city located at Renfield Street, Queen Street, Gordon Street, Argyle Street, St Enoch Centre, Gallowgate, Dumbarton Road, Glasgow Fort and Sauchiehall Street.

2.  Image gallery carousel Guess where - Picture 2 Guess where - Picture 2 Play slides Pause slides Previous slide Next slide Show content 1 Show content 2 Item 1 of 2 Mathematics and Statistics Building, University of Glasgow - located in the west end of the city at University Place just off Byres Road. During its creation the architect wanted to enhance the overall experience of students and staff across the campus by making key alterations to the building's layout and facilities. An important aspect of this was to provide the building and its occupants with a sense of identity and create a fun and dynamic building.  The 'Black Box' building presented an opportunity to explore a range of treatments. This included using various Mathematical and Statistical Symbols, provided by the students at the school, as building wraps, floor decorations and murals at the north and south entrances to the building.

3.  Image gallery carousel Guess where - Picture 3 Guess where - Picture 3 Play slides Pause slides Previous slide Next slide Show content 1 Show content 2 Item 1 of 2 Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre The Bandstand sits between Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the University of Glasgow in the west end of the city.  Last year it celebrated both its 100th anniversary since being built and 10 years since it was restored for 21st century use. It can hold over 2,000 people and is now back in active use for live outdoor entertainment, particularly during the summer months - after 36 years sitting unused. It is one of the most atmospheric and magical spaces Glasgow has to offer. Read more here

4.  Image gallery carousel Guess where - Picture 4 Guess where - Picture 4 Play slides Pause slides Previous slide Next slide Show content 1 Show content 2 Item 1 of 2 Finnieston Crane, Finnieston Quay - Clydeside The Finnieston Crane (nickname Stobcross Crane) is a historical landmark alongside the River Clyde in the city. It is a disused giant cantilever crane located centrally in Finnieston.   It is no longer operational but is retained as a symbol of our city's engineering heritage bearing witness to a past of muscle, sweat and iron.   The crane was used for loading cargo, in particular steam locomotives, onto ships to be exported around the world.  It is one of four such steel jib cranes on the River Clyde, a fifth one having been demolished in 2007, and one of only eleven giant cantilever cranes remaining worldwide. The Finnieston Crane is the largest of them: 53 metres high with a jib 46 metres long and the entire structure weighing 175 tonnes. It the last of its kind to be put into operation on the River Clyde. It did its work from 1932 to 1969.

We are asking staff to help us mark this milestone in the city's history and share with us what Glasgow means to you. Everyone with a connection to the city, whether as a staff member serving our citizens, or working and also living here - you are invited to share your memories, stories, ambitions for the future, work related or not!

We are keen to tell stories of the things that unite us as a workforce, but also highlight the diversity in our organisation, that is also reflective of our city.

So - please get in touch and share your story at staffnews@glasgow.gov.uk and you never know you could be appearing in our staff news or on a screensaver as part of our staff engagement activity!

Glasgow Attractions, a group of the city's best visitor attractions, have launched a series of offers for residents of Glasgow to celebrate our 850th birthday year.

Glasgow was voted the UK's friendliest city in Conde Nast Readers' choice awards - as a thank you and to celebrate the 850th anniversary of the city, members are running a range of special offers including free entry, discounts and lots more from February 2025 onwards.

For more information visit  https://www.glasgowattractions.co.uk/glasgow-850 

This milestone year is packed with events and activities that honour Glasgow's rich history, dynamic present, and ambitious future. All those with a connection to Glasgow are invited to join the celebrations, share their stories and to become tourists in their own city. 

Our year-long, curated, programme promises to engage and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds, reflecting the make-up of the city. The key elements of the programme include:

• Clyde Chorus (29-30 May):Launching with a procession around Pacific Quay led by the Lord Provost, this three-day multi-genre musical event with a focus on homegrown and local talent, will take place at iconic venues along the River Clyde, including the SEC Armadillo, SWG3, The Briggait, Pearce Institute, and The Savings Bank. Expect a blend of classical, contemporary, Celtic, and country music, with sessions each day showcasing Glasgow's rich music scene. Sessions will be ticketed but prices kept low to allow as many people as possible to attend. 

• People's Palace Pop-Up (June to November): With the People's Palace undergoing refurbishment, this free pop-up exhibition will tour various communities across the city, bringing Glasgow's social history to life through historic artefacts, paintings, prints, and photographs by celebrated amateur photographer Eric Watt. Venues will include libraries, community centres and sports hubs throughout the 23 wards in the city. 

• Taste the Place: More than 40 eateries have enlisted to participate in Taste the Place, a series of free self-guided experiences designed to celebrate (and show off) a key ingredient in Glasgow's vibrant culture - its food scene. Each experience has been created to offer inspiration for discovering new foods and culinary experiences, all served from independent businesses who call Glasgow home. Participants include Glasgow's oldest sweetie shop, new and emerging international cuisines. 

• Glasgow 850 Festival Fund: Created to support and enhance existing established city events and festivals to include Glasgow 850 themes and activities in their programming for 2025, highlights include the Glasgow International Comedy Festival's special event, 'Gray Matters: A Laugh for Glasgow's 850 Years'; Glasgow Film Festival's youth and community takeover days offering free cinema experiences; Yardworks urban art festival at SWG3; Glasgow Mela's new commissions, on-stage collaboration and workshops celebrating the city's multicultural legacy; and Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT's Glasgow 850 sponsored River Stage, showcasing local talent. 

Other events include activities in July to mark the feast day of St Teneu, also known as St Enoch, who was the mother of St Mungo - the patron saint of Glasgow and a celebration, in October, of Glasgow's Gaelic heritage and thriving present day community, marking one year to go until the Royal National Mod Gaelic festival returns to the city. 

During the summer, Glasgow 850 will be supporting Glasgow Life with their successful Summer of Fun activities, for young people to stay active during the school holidays. 

The Glasgow 850 programme will be updated and refreshed during the summer to reflect the events and activities taking place during the second half of 2025. 

To view the full programme click here and remember there are lots of ways to get involved in Glasgow 850, please see the website here for information on attending events, organising your own event, volunteering and much more.

Glasgow 850 will also be an opportunity to get together with other volunteers and share your memories and experiences, building a community of volunteers and showcasing all you do for the city you call home. Find out how to become a volunteer and be part of the celebrations, creating a volunteer community that supports each other, provides opportunities to gain experience and engage while representing the city you call home.