The opening of the new Govan-Partick Bridge is to be marked with a musical extravaganza in the form of a free one-off festival on Saturday 7th September 2024.
From the team behind Govan Music Festival and Govan’s regeneration orchestra The Glasgow Barons, the Govan Footbridge Festival will bring local grassroots performers and huge Scottish acts together in a day of musical celebration across the streets of Govan.
The multi-genre, unticketed festival will take place between 10am and 8pm, and see Govan Road closed off for the day, with performances taking place across the whole of Govan Cross, as well as at the Footbridge Plaza next to the Govan entrance of the footbridge.
Well-known names including show-stopping global phenomenon The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Scottish powerhouse Horse McDonald, beloved Glasgow band Colonel Mustard and the Dijon Five, Celtic fusion legends Shooglenifty and talented singer-songwriter Ben Walker will perform across two outdoor stages.
Across the day’s programme, local school choirs, The Gilded Lilies singing group, Govan Allsorts Community Choir, and the award-winning Musicians in Exile will also perform for crowds from Govan, Partick and across Glasgow.
Local rappers from Up2Standard and CCTV as well as Sunny G FM community DJs, musicians from Brass, Aye, Govan singer songwriter FIVO, and Govan Community Pipe Band will also take to the plaza stage, while a Community Cèilidh is also being held on Govan Road.
The Govan Footbridge Festival will put Govan’s best foot forward as Glasgow locals and visitors to the area walk between the subway and the bridge, telling the region’s distinctive story through music.
The local community will be engaged in the delivery of the festival, with stalls representing many local charities and organisations at the heart of the event, and a diverse lineup of musical acts entertaining visitors across its two stages.
Notable local heritage assets including The Govan Stones, The Pearce Institute, Fairfield Heritage Museum and Elder Park will be clearly signposted, showcasing all the area has to offer alongside the festival.
The festival aims to capture the imaginations of people who may not have considered visiting Govan before or seen it as a place to explore, by telling its heritage story and creating a buzz around the area’s great potential as a vibrant and diverse community and cultural hub within Glasgow.
The footbridge, which is two years in the making, will connect Govan’s Water Row directly to the Transport Museum, The Tall Ship Glenlee and Clydebuilt Festival, making Govan Subway the nearest transport hub to those attractions.
Thanks to the Glasgow City Region City Deal, the new foot and bike bridge has been enabled with funding jointly from the Scottish and UK Governments. As a swing bridge, it will allow The Waverley paddle steamer to take tourists up and down the Clyde each day during the summer.
Paul MacAlindin, organiser of the Govan Footbridge Festival, said: “The opening of the new Govan-Partick Bridge is a fantastic opportunity for the communities on either side of the Clyde to come together. Historically, you could wade across the Clyde at low tide, before the ship building industry widened and deepened the river. Now, folk from both sides can explore each other’s neighbourhoods once more.
“This is a great day for Govan, for Glasgow and for Scotland, and we’re delighted to mark the occasion with live music for everyone. We’ll have some incredible local grassroots musicians performing side by side with big name acts in the heart of Govan, showcasing everything the area has to offer which is now even more accessible to those in other parts of the city. We’re very thankful to all of our supporters in making this possible, and we can’t wait to celebrate this momentous occasion with everyone very soon.”
Councillor Ricky Bell, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and a Govan councillor, said: “7 September will indeed be a great day for both Govan and Partick, and I am delighted that the public opening will be marked on the Govan side by the Footbridge Festival. The festival has a fantastic programme of music and events on Govan Road, at Govan Cross and the Plaza beside the bridge that the people of Govan and our visitors can look forward to.”
Uzma Khan, Vice Principal for Economic Development and Innovation and Deputy Chief Operating Officer at the University of Glasgow, said: “The opening of the bridge is a momentous occasion for the communities of Govan and Partick. The University of Glasgow is proud to be supporting the Govan Footbridge Festival, bringing communities together to re-connect and celebrate their history, heritage and future through music.”
Govan Footbridge Festival is made possible by the support of Glasgow City Council, the University of Glasgow, and Govan, Elderpark, Linthouse, Trust and Wheatley Housing Associations.
The festival takes place on Saturday 7th September 2024. Full event details are available at https://www.glasgowbarons.com/govan-footbridge-festival
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