The 2026 Festival Programme is live!
2026 Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival
Thurs 17 – Sun 20 September
Step or Wheel inside Glasgow’s stories
Discover what's behind the doors of Glasgow's most fascinating places.
For 37 years, Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival has opened the city's hidden spaces to the public — inviting Glaswegians and visitors alike to go behind the scenes of historic buildings, factories, theatres, museum stores, cultural landmarks and places rarely seen. All completely free.
Every September, the festival transforms Glasgow with building and walking tours, talks, performances, workshops and events for all ages — creating connections between people, places, and the stories that shaped the city.
Organised by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and powered by hundreds of volunteers and over 100 participating organisations, the festival is a city-wide celebration of Glasgow's architecture, heritage and communities.
Plan your festival experience
What’s On: Browse the Full GDODF 2026 Programme
With 150+ free events taking place across Glasgow, there's something for everyone. Learn more about the programme, then start exploring.
Plan Your Visit
Planning how to get to your venue or tour? Find out the best ways to get around the city, explore our festival cycle routes, and venue accessibility information.
Festival Crowdfunder
Can you help us raise £5,000 by 20 September? We need your support to keep Glasgow Doors Open Days thriving for years to come. To donate to our Crowdfunder and find out more click below.
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See what's on at our Festival Hub, West End
Join Us for Explorathon Saturday!
Explorathon is back on 19 September, with a fun-packed programme of free events and interactive activities for all ages. Come along with family and friends to experience research first-hand, meet the people behind it, and discover how research shapes our everyday lives.
Explore the Festival Hub at ARC!
The Advanced Research Centre returns as our main Festival Hub for 2026, hosting a packed four-day programme of talks, tours, workshops, screenings, exhibitions and family-friendly activity — including Explorathon Festival events, ARC building tours, line dancing in St Mungo’s Square and The Lost Nightclubs of Glasgow exhibition.
Festival Talks Programme 2026
Line-Up Announced 10 August! Get ready for a dynamic talks programme bringing Glasgow’s lost and forgotten dancehalls, nightclubs, discos, stories and cultural histories to life - including two very special GBPT fundraising talks exploring the city’s entertainment history, theatres and historic pubs!
See what's on at our mini Festival Hub, City Centre
Thomas McGoran Exhibition:
Experience the work of acclaimed Glasgow artist and former cinema projectionist Thomas McGoran in this special festival exhibition featuring prints, sketches and digital images of McGoran’s richly detailed artworks, offering a nostalgic glimpse into Glasgow’s cinemas, streets and everyday life.
Remember Going to the Pictures?
Come along with friends and family to share your Glasgow cinema memories. Tell us your stories, record them on our audio equipment, and bring photos, tickets or memorabilia to help build a living archive of the city’s cinemagoing culture.
Discover Glasgow’s Cinema City at Edward House
New for 2026, Edward House becomes our Mini-GDODF Festival Hub, celebrating Glasgow’s historic cinemas through exhibitions, talks, screenings and artwork, presented with the Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District team. The programme explores Glasgow’s early 20th-century history as a “Cinema City”, when it had over 130 cinemas — more than any other city in Britain.
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With thanks to our Partners
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