The future of Glasgow’s UNESCO City of Music status

Hosting an average of 130 music events each week (more than any other Scottish city), it is estimated that music businesses generate some £75 million a year for Glasgow’s economy.

Famed for the enthusiasm of its audiences, more than half a million people enjoy gigs each year at venues such as the Barrowland Ballroom, SWG3, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and the OVO Hydro – the largest entertainment venue in Scotland.

Yet concerns have been raised that Glasgow’s transport system stymies the ability for the city fully exploit its status as a major international musical centre – 17 years after it was named the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music.

Over the past few years, public transport issues for concertgoers attending major events in Glasgow have sparked heavy criticism from locals, politicians and campaign groups alike and placed the city’s ability to play host to such events under the microscope.

In 2023, a Glasgow Subway post on X reminding concertgoers heading to see Arctic Monkeys at Bellahouston Park that no services would be operating when the event finished quickly was met with widespread condemnation – racking up over two million views on X – and led to renewed calls for the Subway to extend its Sunday operating hours to coincide with major events. 

Meanwhile, a ScotRail post on X reminding people attending last year’s TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green that rail services would terminate before the festival finished provoked a similar outcry.

Among those voicing their disapproval was Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts, the group behind TRNSMT. In a letter to The Herald, he wrote that Glasgow’s “hugely unreliable” public transport is “ludicrous for a city that’s been named one of 19 UNESCO Cities of Music in Europe”. 

“Public transport has the opportunity to be the unsung hero of music events across the country but, right now, transport providers are not singing in harmony”, he said.

Matt Brennan, Professor of Popular Music at the University of Glasgow, believes city chiefs and transport providers need to do more when it comes to large-scale music events in the city.

He said: “I think there could be more joined-up thinking between parts of the city that are responsible for all kinds of aspects of regulation like licensing, zoning and transport, that aren’t music-specific but nevertheless need to be connected to a city’s cultural life, especially if it is trying to brand itself as a destination for music and culture.”

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Matt Brennan, Professor of Popular Music at the University of Glasgow (Image: Marisa Privitera Murdoch)

That being said, Prof Brennan praised Glasgow’s ability to manage the “various crises” that cities have faced post-pandemic and maintain its identity as a city that lives and breathes – live – music.

He added: “I would say that Glasgow’s music scene is as vibrant and healthy as it ever has been if we measure that in terms of the amount of people making music, the amount of people for whom music is important in their personal lives, if we are thinking about it in terms of what the city is known for and its reputation. 

“I think that there’s a bigger issue that’s not specific to Glasgow but does have a local impact which is just that the various crises that we’ve been experiencing post-Covid – the cost-of-living crisis, increased operating costs for businesses including music venues – are pressures that I think make it more difficult to make a livelihood out of music at a grassroots level and we can also count challenges facing the city centre and late-night public transport amongst that.

“All of these things can impact a city’s music scene and make it challenging. But at the same time, it’s maybe a testament to the resilience of Glasgow’s music scene that there is, despite these challenges, which we didn’t have as much when Glasgow first earned its UNESCO status in 2008, there’s still a thriving visible and audible music culture across the city.”

With 17 years having passed since Glasgow was named a UNESCO City of Music, Prof Brennan believes that now is as good a time as ever to question how the city thinks about “the longevity” of the accolade. 

He said: “I think what’s interesting about Glasgow’s UNESCO City of Music status is that it was the first city in the UK to earn that title and it was one of the first cities in the world to be marked as a city of music and what happens with these sorts of titles, generally speaking, is that in order to gain that title you need a compelling five-year plan. You need evidence of plans for investment and strategy and then the question then becomes, not just for Glasgow but for all cities that have some sort of creative designation whether from UNESCO or from otherwise is, ‘What happens after the five-year plan?’

“Glasgow is now in a point where it is now 17 years into that identity and the city has faced different challenges in the past 17 years and it becomes a question of how does the city think about the longevity of such a title.

“I definitely know for a fact that there are people working in Glasgow Life, where the kind of responsibility of that title resides at the moment, who are thinking and working very hard on these issues and are trying to make sure that that title is as relevant and activated as it can be.

“We might think of Sauchiehall Street as a case in point, arguably the most important street for the city’s night time economy. It’s no secret that it’s in a kind of challenging moment in its history and I think that for those who maybe don’t have a sense behind-the-scenes of the work and effort that’s being put in to trying to address some of those problems it may seem that the street is in a bit of a mess but I know both the city council and Glasgow Life are putting a lot of effort into trying to make sure that the current issues facing that street are addressed and that there’s a plan over the next 10 years to make sure that that’s still as lively and supported a spot and as central a spot for the city’s music and nightlife culture as it ever has been in any previous point in its history.”

Prof Brennan suggests that Glasgow’s music heritage and its UNESCO City of Music status could be properly celebrated with a permanent exhibit. 

He added: “I think that there’s a huge opportunity for something like that to happen. It doesn’t even need to be necessarily a dedicated museum, it could be a permanent exhibit.

“But something that kind of sticks around and is a reminder not just for the citizens who are in Glasgow for their lives but also a spot for tourists to be kind of introduced to why music matters so much in this city. I think there’s huge potential for something like that.”

Katie Duffy, Senior Arts and Music Programmes Manager at Glasgow Life and Glasgow’s UNESCO City of Music lead, said Glasgow’s status as UNESCO City Music remains “a priority” for the city.

She told The Glasgow Times: “As the UK’s first UNESCO City Music, Glasgow offers one of the most immersive live music experiences in the world. From our legendary grassroots venues to our outstanding Ovo Hydro arena, we enjoy a strong reputation for emerging talent and are recognised by the world’s biggest artists as a must-play destination thanks to our passionate fans.

“Having been only the third city in the world to receive the UNESCO designation back in 2008, Glasgow is now one of 75 UNESCO music cities globally who share a commitment to culture’s role in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network is a priority for the city as it places Glasgow’s music on a global stage and at the heart of international music discussion, advocacy and promotion.

“Glasgow’s City of Music designation is for everyone who contributes to making Glasgow an internationally renowned music city. Our role as policy lead is to continually and collectively review priority areas of work, based on the needs of the sector and industry in the city. 

“We engage with partners and stakeholders in the city to ensure Glasgow’s music offer is as competitive as it can be. In the Glasgow 2030 Tourism Strategy major concerts, live music and nightlife is identified as a lead driver in the overall tourist offer.

“Glasgow Life recognises the importance of the role of music tourism and our visitor facing website includes a significant amount of information and itineraries to encourage visitors to enjoy and support our city’s music offer.”

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