Unlock Your City With Red Bull: Glasgow

The infamous Glasgow Sub Crawl is something only the brave dare take on; stopping off at the nearest pub for a drink at each of the 15 stops on the Glasgow subway, few make it out with enough memory of the night to tell the tale. So, for a more memorable tour of the city, unlock the best of Glasgow with our Sub(culture) Crawl instead, taking in a selection of its best venues, restaurants, live music venues, art galleries and hidden gems. 

Buchanan Street

Starting off right in the city centre, just a short walk from Buchanan Street subway station is Glasgow Film Theatre (or GFT if you want to fit in with the locals), home to three of the city’s annual film festivals: Glasgow Film Festival, Glasgow Short Film Festival and Glasgow Youth Film Festival. Throughout the year, the venue also plays host to a range of special seasons and series, with one-off screenings and events, as well as showing all the usual new releases. 12 Rose Street (5 min walk)

 
[Image: Glasgow Film Theatre by Euan Robertson]

St. Enoch

Not long opened up in Glasgow’s legendary Argyle Street Arches, Platform is a foodies' paradise and the perfect place to sample some of Scotland’s best street food offerings. Open every Friday and Saturday from 12-10pm, and now on Sundays too from 12-6pm, the rotating cast of traders include 2018 Scottish Street Food joint award-winners, crème brûlée aficionados The Crema Caravan and fried chicken Gods The Buffalo Truck, as well as Kings of the fish finger sandwich ShrimpWreck and halloumi fries fiends Chick+Pea. 253 Argyle Street (5 min walk)

[Image: Glasgow's own Franz Ferdinand on stage at the O2 Academy, by Alexandros Costa]

Bridge Street

Probably the main reason you’ll be getting off the subway at Bridge Street is being on your way to a show at the O2 Academy. Regularly playing host to a wide range of events, from gigs to club nights to day-long festivals, the venue serves as a middle ground between the more intimate and larger venues Glasgow has to offer. Under the roof of this refurbished cinema, you can be sure to find a wide variety of touring acts all year round, from pop stars and rock stars to comedy shows and drag shows. 121 Eglinton Street (4 min walk) 

West Street

A bit further off the beaten track, but well worth the journey, is multi-arts complex Tramway. Saved from demolition in the 80s, as part of the city’s development plans for Glasgow’s year as City of Culture 1990, you just have to be even the slightest bit interested in culture to find something that appeals to you on at the venue at any given time. Its year-round programme includes a range of art exhibitions, installations, performances, film screenings, gigs, comedy shows and much more. 25 Albert Drive (18 min walk)

[Image: Kelly Nipper at Tramway, Glasgow by Nick Milligan]

Shields Road

Fancy yourself as the next Mario Testino or Annie Leibovitz? Or do you just really want to improve your Instagram profile? Brush up on your photography skills, or just rent out one of the studios, at Dreghorn Photography. The studio offers photography courses for all levels, as well as speciality courses and tutored photography experiences, including astrophotography and wildlife photography. You can also pop in to the weekly Kinning Park Camera Club meetings, taking place at the studio every Tuesday, with regular competitions, workshops and guest speakers. 95 Portman Street (8 min walk)

Kinning Park

Glasgow is a proper music city, so naturally it’s awash with plenty of rehearsal studios and spaces for up-and-coming bands to slave away in. Empire Studios is a fairly new space but is quickly making a reputable name for itself, offering four rooms of varying sizes, all equipped with a drum kit, amps, mics and mic stands. The studio also provides drama space hire for castings and rehearsals, as well as running Empire Academy, which offers a DJ school, drum and guitar lessons and adult lessons. 50 Clifford Lane (5 min walk)

Cessnock

Bouldering is so hot right now, so strap on that harness and get scaling those walls. Glasgow Climbing Centre offers one-off admission, monthly memberships, a range of lesson programmes and even accommodates birthday parties. So, whether you’re a climbing pro or a complete beginner, you can practice your spidey skills in three dedicated bouldering areas, on over 20 lines of lead climbing, on two TruBlue Mk2 Auto Belay units or over 40 top roping lines. 534 Paisley Road West (10 min walk)

Ibrox

An abandoned warehouse turned street food haven? Groundbreaking. On the south side of the Clyde, street food fans are not denied a good scran either. Scotland’s biggest indoor licensed street food market, set in a huge industrial warehouse in Govan, the Big Feed puts up many of the same suspects as Platform, only there’s a hell of a lot more of them. Usually taking place on the second and last weekend of every month, you can also expect live music, DJs and plenty of activities to keep you occupied. 249 Govan Road (9 min walk)

[Image: Big Feed]

Govan

As the development battle wages on over Govan Graving Docks, make the most of this derelict space while you still can. To some a wasteland, to others a glimpse into Glasgow’s history, the docks were once one of the world’s major ports, but controversial development plans intend to build a huge multi-complex over the historic dock yard. With its future still not sealed, pay it a visit before it’s too late. 18 Clydebrae Street (7 min walk)

Partick

The six°north team celebrated their 5th birthday this year, brewing away in Stonehaven since 2013. Over the years, they’ve extended their love of beer across Scotland, now with bars in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Earlier this year, the Glasgow bar hosted its first Street Jam, an annual event at the Aberdeen branch which invites local street artists to paint large canvases live on the day and set up shop to sell their works; obviously there’s plenty of beer to try too. Tip: make sure you try the Four Saisons. 566 Dumbarton Road (6 min walk)

Kelvinhall

You’re about to venture to Finnieston, ‘the hippest place in Britain’, according to The Times back in 2016; prepare to witness an unimaginable amount of wooden benches and exposed brickwork, and just try and count how many beards you spot – you will definitely lose count. Walking down Argyle Street, you’ll be spoiled for choice on bars and restaurants but stop in to Rioja for an authentic taste of España, whether just for a cheeky glass of vino or a few tapas. 1116 Argyle Street (15 min walk)

[Image: Rioja, Finnieston]

Hillhead

You’re officially in Glasgow Uni territory here, with more bars, cafés and restaurants than the eye can see. Go for a stroll down the fairy light-adorned Ashton Lane, where you’ll find one of the oldest cinemas in Glasgow, The Grosvenor; treat yourself to a lavish meal at The Ubiquitous Chip and follow it up with a post-dinner drink in super trendy bar Brel’s incredible beer garden (weather permitting, of course). Ashton Lane (2 min walk)

Kelvinbridge

Scottish comedy institution The Stand Comedy Club has venues in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as one down south in Newcastle, and its stage has been graced by some of the world’s top comedians over the years. Open seven nights a week, you can always expect plenty of laughs at one of their regular nights, including Red Raw and the Thursday-Saturday variety evening shows. Want to find the next Frankie Boyle or Kevin Bridges before they get massive? The Stand is the place to do it. 333 Woodlands Road (3 min walk)

St. George’s Cross

Run by Synergy Concerts and taking its name from Arab Strap’s album Monday at the Hug & Pint, The Hug and Pint is fast becoming one of Glasgow’s best live music venues. Reopening its doors in 2015, following a stint as The Roxy 171 in 2011, the venue’s basement hosts gigs from touring acts and local bands, as well as occasional comedy shows, almost every night. Upstairs, it also boasts a vegan restaurant and a wide selection of craft beers, ciders and other bevvies; basically, it’s the perfect place to spend an evening. 171 Great Western Road (3 min walk)

[Image: Katie Von Schleicher live at The Hug and Pint, by Brendan Waters]

Cowcaddens

Veganism is everywhere in Glasgow – you can’t escape it, so why not just stop whining and embrace it? You never know, you might even like it! Another of Glasgow’s top vegan hangouts, and home of cinema buffs Burnt Church Film Club, The Flying Duck is a basement bar in the city centre serving up a quite frankly insane menu of meat-free delights. Keep an eye on their event schedule for gigs, classic film screenings and vegan festivals. 142 Renfield Street (8 min walk)

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