In and around The Tall Ship, the SECC and the Glasgow Science Centre you will find a whole host of varied entertainment and activities for all the family. Live music and dance, funfair rides, street entertainment, colourful arts performances from local Chinese communities as part of “China Now”, a farmer’s market, barbeques and even Beach Volleyball will be on offer.
The Tall Ship is open from 10.00a.m until 6.00p.m. There is free entry on to the ship and a variety of fun family entertainment and activities happening on the quayside, including Model Boats on the Boating Pond, fairground rides and face-painting. Visitors can enjoy a selection of delicious food from the Gourmet Kitchen or visit the café for teas, coffees, sandwiches, cakes, sweets & ice-creams.
The Tall Ship pirates will be onsite from 12 o’clock each day assisting young scallywags with an onboard Treasure Hunt! Challenge the pirates to a swashbuckling dual before scouring the Glenlee for treasure clues! For a more hands-on experience, the 29th Adventure Scouts will be running sail taster sessions from the Glenlee Pontoon (charges may apply).
The Glenlee Gift Shop will be open too for festival goers to browse and buy.
So come along and experience a wonderfully colourful carnival atmosphere by the Clyde side!
From 12-4pm on both Saturday and Sunday, the Crowne Plaza will be hosting a barbeque by the Clydeside, or - for the more discerning nautical foodies - why not sample the hot and cold Seafood delicacies in their alfresco Seafood Bistro on the lawn.
The Glasgow Science Centre Café will be offering healthy option sandwiches, baked potatoes with hot and cold fillings, fruit smoothies and salad.
Anyone fancy watching one of the Olympics hottest new sports on a specially created beach by the Clyde? Well at the River Festival you can! This is to be the fantastic location of Glasgow’s first EVER beach volleyball tournament.
Come along and watch the Scottish Masters tournament on Saturday and Sunday, where you will be amazed at the high-energy displays and sporting prowess of the teams involved. Why not stick around for the taster sessions in the afternoon and have a shot at the sport that is taking the nation by storm!
stv Toursstv is opening its doors for a look behind the scenes of its state-of-the-art studios. Free guided tours will be available on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 July.
Saturday 19 July – 10am, 10.45am, 11.30am and 12.15pm Sunday 20 July – 10am, 10.45am, 11.30am and 12.15pm
The maximum number of people per tour is 10. They will take approximately 45 minutes. Please note that these tours are now fully booked.
BBC Scotland will be bringing a host of fun activities for all the family to get involved with over the River Festival weekend.
Outside, the BBC Scotland marquee will be bursting with activity with a host of well known faces off the telly joining in the fun. You’ll get the chance to read the news alongside our Reporting Scotland presenters and try your hand at football and rugby commentating.
CBBC’sRaven (James MacKenzie) andNina (Katrina Bryan) from the popular CbeebiesNina and the Neurons series will be popping along to say hello.
Inside our new headquarters you can get behind our mobile DJ desk and try your hand at being a music presenter find out more about IPlayer and Digital and perhaps come face to face with one of Dr Who’s most feared enemies…..
Free tours of the building will also take place across the weekend.
The tours will take place at 11am, 12.10pm and 1.20pm and accommodate up to 30 people per tour. A maximum of 6 places may be booked.
Please note that these tours are now fully booked.
This year at the River Festival make sure you visit the BBC Headroom Tent to 'unwind your mind'. Launched in May 2008 the BBC Headroom campaign aims to encourage the widest possible audience to take simple steps to look after their well being. Come along, relax and take part in creative activities that will aid in releasing those inner tensions.
On Saturday 19th July, SILK SCREENS comes to Glasgow as part of the River Festival.
Comprising both live and on screen events SILK SCREENS LIVE will be themed on the Chinese element of water, represented by a giant moving turtle, and involving performances from professional and community Chinese artists. Glasgow's heavenly creature, the Turtle will form part of a magnificent performance based on a Chinese myth, the Eight Immortals Crossing the Seas.
During the afternoon performing artists will delight audiences as they journey through the site and discover intimate performances, have the opportunity to offer incense offerings and create an evolving art installation on site.
Silks Screens in Glasgow is supported by Arts Council, BBC, China Now and China Now in Scotland, and Glasgow Culture and Sport and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
The Glasgow Warriors rugby team will be putting on displays and meeting and greeting the public on both Saturday and Sunday. Prior to the exciting performances by China Now, there will be a Warriors ‘Mascot’ daily prize draw on the Millennium stage.
Glasgow Science Centre is a focal point for the Glasgow River Festival with live science shows, theatrical demonstrations, outdoor funfair rides, fantastic giveaways and much more! Glasgow Science Centre offers something for the whole family and has some of the best views of all the action on the Clyde.
To celebrate the River Festival, Glasgow Science Centre is offering special entry rates to attractions within the Centre. You will be able to visit the Science Mall, Glasgow Tower or an IMAX 3D film (excl Kung Fu Panda) for £2 each over the weekend. There is also free entry to the Climate Change Theatre, workshops and Science Shows with Science Mall entry. Plus when you buy a £2 wrist band for the Science Mall you will be able to pay a £2 add on and get entry to the ScottishPower Planetarium.
With so much to discover you will definitely want to return to the Glasgow Science Centre! For £1 entry after the 21st of July clickhere
Come and meet the RSPB as part of the Glasgow River Festival! We'll be on hand with loads of information about safeguarding our seas, and kids can get crafty by making Chinese fish windsocks.
Once outside, don’t miss, professional dance team - theRockettes, who will be performing energetic routines and also teaching a mini cheer clinic for all those cheerleading enthusiasts or anyone who is up for a laugh and some exercise!
Alternatively maybe belly dancing is more your cup of exotic tea! If so, the Mirage Arabic dancers will be performing on both Saturday and Sunday around the Science Centre.
For a more traditional type of dance be sure to catch Aileen Roberston Highland Dance School who will be performing on the Sunday. Their modern take on highland dancing is very unique and has even been referred to as a Scottish equivalent to River Dance.
Finally the Le Roc dancers will be entertaining the crowd with their modern and jazzy dancing. With all these different types of dancing displays you are sure to find at least one that will get your foot tapping!
Fun Fairs
The Fun Fair at the Science Centre has the larger, scarier rides for those brave adults with a strong stomach. The Fun Fair at the Tall Ship contains rides to keep the children happy and finally we have yet another Fun Fair at the City Inn, where their will be various family rides for everyone to enjoy.
The Fortunate Sons are knee deep in country and blues, stained from the muddy banks of the River Clyde. Unswayed by fashions or trends of the month, their debut album is a dirty bluesy experience, inspired by the energy and soul of early blues music. Released on September 28th, this self produced body of work draws upon life stories, delivered with an infectious enthusiasm. Sharing a mutual love of roots, rhythm and blues, Sam West, Calum McCann, Michael Law and Graham McGeoch formed The Fortunate Sons in a smoky Glasgow west end flat in 2005. They cut their teeth in the early hours of the morning playing folk and blues in dark and dirty venues.
The Vintage Fire Engines will be returning this year and this time they bring with them the impressive old steam engines. They will be stationed in the car park by the tall ship on both Saturday and Sunday so make sure you take a wander along!
Farmers Market
Why not stock up on the delicious produce from the Farmers Market over the weekend? Expect to see a mix of fantastic meats; fresh fruits; Loch Fyne seafood; hand made confectionery; Arran cheeses; Indian pakoras and assorted treats; balsamic vinegars and dressings; jams and pickles; home farm baking and many more yummy treats. There will also be beautiful hand made arts and crafts, so make sure you visit the Farmer’s Market (situated at the BBC waterfront) and have a browse at the varied selection of produce on offer!
All events are provided on a first come first served basis
