The story of the 2026
festival
Programme announcements, behind-the-scenes pieces, press coverage and partner news from Glasgow Doors Open Days.
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.
A Belter of a Line-Up: Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2026 Programme Now Live!
Four days. 150+ free events. Countless ways to discover Glasgow day and night.
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!
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.
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.
Sign up now!
Sign up for festival news and be the first to know about what's going on — event announcements, new venues, exclusive content and more.
