Programme released for Govanhill International Festival & Carnival 2025
The Govanhill International Festival & Carnival returns this August and we’ve got all the info about what’s happening this year, including with our Greater Govanhill storybooth event. Scroll down for the full programme.
GIFC 24 carnival procession by Raia Gadiaga
By Devon McCole | Photos by Raia Gadiaga and Devon McCole
GIFC 25 poster in the Community Newsroom window by Devon McCole
Govanhill’s anti-racist festival – Govanhill International Festival and Carnival (GIFC) – returns for it’s ninth year this August, and the full programme of events is out now.
We received a big pile of GIFC 25 programmes. So if you fancy a physical copy to flick through, fold the corners of, or circle events that catch your eye – swing by and grab yourself one.
Having curiously read through the programme ourselves, we can tell you there’s a variety of events on this year from a whole host of local organisations, community groups, activists, artists and musicians – all gracing the streets, spaces and stages of Govanhill this year. The festivities take place between Friday 1 – Sunday 10 August, with the main event, the parade, happening on Saturday 2 August.
According to Govanhill Baths, this year the parade brings us ‘samba, lion dancers, street drumming, banners, costumes’ and… a unicorn? Whilst drum banging, banners and costumes are no new thing at GIFC, this year’s parade is slightly different. It will begin at Queen’s Park (instead of finishing there) and wind its way to Govanhill Park where the celebration continues with stalls, free workshops, live music and a community meal prepared by Govanhill Pantry.
The festival originated as a way for the neighbourhood to fight racism following attacks in the local area almost a decade ago, today its anti-racist stance remains central to the festival and its community. This year, there was also funding made available for local people, groups and orgs to be able to host events.
“The arts have a crucial role in building this kind of social cohesion… That’s why this year we’ve launched our Creative Neighbourhood Grants, giving local individuals, artists, networks and organisations the resources and the responsibility to create work that matters to their communities,” said Arts & Heritage Manager, Simone Stewart, “It’s about creating public culture that is shared, representative and lasting – opening space for new voices… and connections that go far beyond the festival itself.”
Awarded by the festival, these grants support local people, networks and organisations to ‘shape public culture on their own terms’. Greater Govanhill were one of the many local partners (including Romano Lav for their Govanhill’s Got Talent! showcase) to receive funding from this particular pot for our storytelling photobooth event – Govanhill Stories: A Photobooth of Voices.
GIFC 24 carnival procession by Raia Gadiaga
On Sunday 3 August, the day after the big parade, we’re inviting residents, readers and passersby to drop-in to a quiet corner of the Community Newsroom – which will be transformed into makeshift photobooth – and share a fragment of their story. The Newsroom invites festival goers to sit for portrait and offer a memory, a message, or a piece of advice – something small, something true. Whether you’ve lived here for days or a decade, your voice holds weight, and through images and words we hope to honour that, highlighting he many lives that shape our neighbourhood, and our shared humanity along the way. To participate, leave your info here.
We’re also on the lookout for volunteer writers to send us in review, previews or interviews relating to the event they’re most looking forward to attending – to be published on our website. If there is a something you’d like to cover during the festival please email devon@greatergovanhill.com before the end of July and we’ll get back to you.
So, if you’re looking to get involved there’s plenty to do!
But if you’re looking for something more radical, to show some solidarity, this year’s festival has Palestinian solidarity is woven throughout, and has it’s own section within the programme booklet. Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine is an event worth circling, presenting a showcase of some of the most exciting writing coming out of Palestine today. This event marks the end of the Govanhill Book Festival, a popular extension of GIFC, which opens with Nicola Sturgeon in conversation with Jim Monaghan about the upcoming release of her memoir ‘Frankly.’
The final event, marking the end of the festival as a whole, is the Street Music Festival, with different performances and events taking place in wee pockets of Govanhill – including at the Community Newsroom. We are hosting a pop-up dance hub just outside the newsroom, which different performers will be using throughout the day.
GIFC is a community-led, anti-racist celebration bringing together artists, activists, and community members to create lasting positive change, so be sure to check out the full programme of events. And if you fancy covering any of the events listed, drop us an email.
The Govanhill International Festival and Carnival programme in full
Parade & Carnival 2025
Govanhill International Carnival Parade
Saturday 2 August, 1pm–4pm
Start Point: Queen’s Park (Victoria Road Gates)
Join a powerful display of joy and solidarity as the Govanhill Carnival Parade takes to the streets. March, dance and celebrate alongside neighbours, artists and activists.
Assemble from 12:30pm
Want to join? Email carnival@govanhillbaths.com
Celebration in Govanhill Park
Saturday 2 August, 2pm–4pm
Location: Govanhill Park
Continue the carnival celebration with food, workshops, stalls and live music. Free hot meals, creative activities for all ages and performances by Obia Sounds, Samba Sene and Govanhill Voices.
Irish Roots
Inishowen Singers' Circle Session
Friday 1 August, 7pm–9pm
Location: Sharkeys, 51 Old Rutherglen Road
An evening of traditional Irish song and memory with the Inishowen Traditional Singers' Circle.
Free but ticketed | No age restriction
Film & Session: It’s a Fine Thing to Sing
Saturday 2 August, 6:30pm–10pm
Location: McNeill’s, 106 Torrisdale Street
Film screening and live session celebrating Ireland’s musical legacy.
Free but ticketed | No wheelchair access
The Derry Boat to Donegal Hill Walk
Sunday 3 & 10 August, 11am–1pm
Start Point: 61 Broomielaw (next to casino)
Guided walk exploring Irish migration and activism in Govanhill.
Free but ticketed | 2hr walk with limited rest stops
Requiem: Creative Residency
Open Studio: Mon 4, Wed 6, Fri 8 Aug, 12pm–3pm
Closing Gathering: Sat 9 Aug, 7pm–9pm
Location: The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale Street
Contribute to a living archive of Irish women’s stories and migration
Free but ticketed | Wheelchair accessible
Maura McRobbie: Irish-Scottish Stories
Tuesday 5 August, 6pm–7:30pm
Location: Govanhill Library, 171 Langside Road
Author Maura McRobbie shares tales inspired by heritage and history.
Free but ticketed | All ages welcome
Irish Language & Singing Taster
Thursday 7 August, 6pm–8:30pm
Location: McNeill’s, 106 Torrisdale Street
Introductory session in Gaeilge and Irish traditional singing.
Free but ticketed | All levels welcome
Gaelic at GIFC
Gaelic Author Event: Buchanan & Johnstone
Thursday 7 August, 5:30pm–7:30pm
Location: Govanhill Library, 171 Langside Road
Join Gaelic authors exploring identity, island life and inner-city change.
Free but ticketed
Gaelic Reading Sessions with Linda Macleod
Friday 8 August, 11am–11:30am / 11:45am–12:15pm
Location: Govanhill Library
Gaelic storytelling and song sessions for under-8s.
Free drop-in
Govanhill Book Festival Highlights
Location: Queen’s Park Govanhill Church of Scotland**
Friday Launch: Nicola Sturgeon in Conversation
Friday 8 August, 6pm–8pm
Nicola Sturgeon discusses her memoir and political life.
Tickets: Free/£5/£20
Saturday Events (Individual/All-Day Tickets)
Saturday 9 August, 10am–5:30pm
Chris McQueer & Peter Mohan (10:30am)
Alycia Pirmohamed (12pm)
Shane Johnstone & Martin O’Connor (2:30pm)
Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine (4pm)
Tickets: Free/£5/£20 or £15 for all-day
Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine
Evening Showcase
Saturday 9 August, 7pm
Location: The Glad Cafe
Live poetry, music and storytelling from Palestinian artists.
Free but ticketed | Donations welcome
Ruh al Ruh: Open Rehearsal
Saturday 9 August, 11:30am–5pm
Location: The Work Room, Tramway
Witness a rehearsed reading of a new Gaza-based play.
Free but ticketed
The Thread That Binds Us
Saturday 9 August, 12pm–1:30pm
Location: The Deep End Workshop
Talk on Palestine’s textile heritage and garment worker solidarity.
Free but ticketed | Seated event
Govanhill Book Festival
Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine
Saturday 9 August, 4pm
Showcasing bold, new Palestinian writing with poets and novelists from Gaza, Galilee, and New York, including Deline Abushaban, Dareen Tartour, Mohamed Mousa, and Randa Jarrar.
Pay what you can
More Festival Events
Hotblast
Friday 1 – Sunday 10 August
The Hidden Gardens via Tramway
Hayley Jane Dawson's installation explores Glasgow’s industrial past through cast objects, found materials, and archives.
Free entry
Installation
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady: A Listening Event
Friday 1 August, 6pm–8pm
Burning House Books
Join Ben Kritikos for a collective listening of Charles Mingus’ 1963 album, followed by a discussion on music as resistance and memory.
Free but ticketed
Music and Talk
The Future is Written Queer: Letter Writing Workshops & Exhibition
Friday 1, Sunday 3 & Sunday 10 August
Inkling (at The Cooperage)
Risograph workshops and exhibition celebrating queer memory and radical connection through letter writing.
Free but ticketed
Workshop and Exhibition
Vocal or Version reggae dance
Saturday 2 August, 8pm–1am
The Rum Shack
A night of vintage Jamaican music with Doc Murdoc, Gabby Ochoa and Shaun Galbraith.
£6–£10 tickets via Rumshack
Music
BarbourFest: Mary Barbour's 150th Birthday
Sunday 3 August, from 10am
Govan Road / Romano Lav / The Bungo
Walking tour, panels and performances honouring Mary Barbour and her legacy of housing justice and feminism.
Free but ticketed
Walk, Panel, Celebration
On-Screen: East & Southeast Asian Film & Dialogue
Sunday 3 & Saturday 9 August, 10am–6pm
Broadside
Community film screenings exploring migration, identity and care. Reflective and informal atmosphere.
Free but ticketed
Film Screening
G42 Art, Photography and Music
Sunday 3 – Sunday 10 August, 12pm–6pm
The Deep End
Local art and photography alongside curated music celebrating community memory and creativity.
Free entry
Exhibition
Govanhill Stories: A Photobooth of Voices
Sunday 3 August, 2pm–5pm
The Community Newsroom
A space for residents to share portraits and stories, building a collective snapshot of the neighbourhood.
Free entry
Storytelling & Photography
Vita Nova
Sunday 3 August, 6pm–12 midnight
McNeil’s Bar (Upstairs)
A night of deep psychedelic sounds and communal joy, powered by a hand-built sound system.
£5 on the door
Music
FLOCK
Monday 4 August, 11am–12pm (workshop), 12noon–12:20pm (performance)
Govanhill Park
A live dance poem and creative chalk art inspired by nature and community.
Free, booking required
Workshop & Performance
Spangled Cabaret
Monday 4 August, 7:30pm–10:30pm
The Rum Shack
Glasgow's alternative variety show mixing drag, burlesque, music and more.
£6–£8 tickets via Rumshack
Cabaret
Welfare Not Warfare: Disability and Resistance
Monday 4 August, 2pm–4pm
Romano Lav
Disabled artists and allies reflect and collaborate on a banner for justice and resistance.
Free, no booking required
Discussion & Banner-Making
The Hardest Song To Write: A Celebration of Protest Song
Monday 4 August, 8pm–10:30pm
The Glad Cafe
Jim King and guests honour the tradition of protest music in a night of song and reflection.
Free but ticketed
Acoustic Music
Blanket Bog
Tuesday 5 August, 11am–3pm (drop-in)
Bennan Square
A sensory family installation exploring peatland stories and creative activities.
Free entry
Interactive Installation & Workshop
A Community Chevruta
Tuesday 5 August, 6pm–8pm
Glasgow Autonomous Space
A participatory session on justice and memory using Jewish chevruta learning practice.
Free but ticketed
Workshop
Glasgow's Anti-Racist History: 1930s to Today
Tuesday 5 August, 7pm–8:30pm
Queen's Park Govanhill Parish Church
An evening of stories tracing Glasgow's proud legacy of anti-racist activism and solidarity.
Free but ticketed
Talk & Panel
Wildcard Stories
Tuesday 5 August, 7:30pm–9pm
The Rum Shack
A night of powerful local storytelling hosted by Bryce Drennan and Frankie Regalia.
\u00a36 tickets via Rumshack
Performance
A Special Tribute To Woody Guthrie
Tuesday 5 August, 7:30pm–10pm
The Marlborough
Live concert by Lanarkshire Songwriters Group honouring Guthrie’s legacy of protest and folk music.
\u00a310, \u00a38 tickets
Music
Hugh Reed and the Velvet Underpants
Tuesday 5 August, 8pm–9pm
McNeill’s
Cult Glasgow band perform ahead of their new album release.
Free but ticketed
Performance
Foraging As Resistance: Screening of 'Foragers'
Wednesday 6 August, 6pm–8pm
The Hidden Gardens Boilerhouse
LGBTQI+ Gardening Group hosts a screening of Jumana Manna’s film on Palestinian plant foraging as resistance.
Free but ticketed
Film Screening & Discussion
Groove Is In The Dark
Wednesday 6 August, 6:30pm–7:15pm
Larkfield Community Centre
Dance in the dark to let go and de-stress with this free-form, feel-good session.
Free but ticketed
Wellbeing
Donny Gluckstein: The Radical Jewish Tradition
Wednesday 6 August, 6pm
The Rum Shack
Talk on Jewish anti-Zionism and resistance with Dr. Donny Gluckstein and Jade Eckhaus.
Free but ticketed
Talk
Cultivating Community Activism
Wednesday 6 August, 7pm–8:30pm
Queen’s Park Govanhill Parish Church
A gathering to reflect on Cathy McCormack’s work and the audiobook launch of The Wee Yellow Butterfly.
Free but ticketed
Discussion
Govanhill Jewish Walk
Thursday 7 August, 2pm–4pm
Starts at 355 Langside Road
Walking tour exploring Govanhill’s Jewish heritage, from synagogues to community spaces.
Free, booking essential
Heritage Walk
Men’s Shed – Open Afternoon
Thursday 7 August, 2pm–4pm (drop-in)
Deep End Wood Workshop
Drop in to explore the Men’s Shed: a space for woodwork, skill-sharing and community.
Free entry
Wood Workshop
Equal Pay: Glasgow’s Women on Strike
Thursday 7 August, 7pm
Queen’s Park Govanhill Parish Church
Panel event marking the 2018 Equal Pay Strike and launching a new oral history project.
Free but ticketed
Panel Discussion
The Warlocks + The Primevals
Thursday 7 August, 7:30pm
The Rum Shack
Psych-rock from The Warlocks and garage legends The Primevals.
\u00a315 tickets via Rumshack
Music
Wee Move
Friday 8 August, 5pm–6:30pm
Some Great Reward
Open mic-style movement event with improv dance and live audience.
Free but ticketed
Performance / Dance
Govanhill’s Got Talent!
Friday 8 August, 6pm–8:30pm
Roma Cultural Centre
Music, dance and spoken word by local performers in a vibrant celebration of talent.
Free but ticketed
Talent Show
Ghost Signs of Glasgow: Southside Tour
Friday 8 August, 7pm–9pm
Meeting Point: The Deep End
A walking tour of Glasgow’s fading hand-painted signs and hidden histories.
Free but ticketed
Heritage Walk
Queer Theory
Friday 8 August, 7:30pm–1am
The Rum Shack
Cabaret and dance party featuring drag, performance art, and experimental acts.
\u00a36-£8 advance or \u00a310 on door
Performance
Archiving Our Anti-Racism Activism
Saturday 9 August, 2:30pm–5:30pm (drop-in)
Glasgow Zine Library
Create a community zine documenting anti-racist organising in Govanhill.
Free but ticketed
Workshop
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Saturday 9 August, 3pm–5pm
MILK
Join a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony celebrating culture, care and hospitality.
Free but ticketed – email
Cultural / Food & Drink
KILLABEATMAKER (Live)
Saturday 9 August, 8pm–1am
The Rum Shack
Colombian artist blends Afro and Andean sounds in a high-energy live set.
\u00a310 ticket
Music
Open Sauce
Sunday 10 August, 7pm–10:30pm
The Rum Shack
Discover Southside’s funniest comedy acts in a night of fresh, local humour.
\u00a37–\u00a310 tickets via Rumshack
Comedy