Dancing in the streets with the Merchant City Music Tour

Take to the streets. There’s a fantastic range of walking tours and trails for you to explore the nooks and crannies of Glasgow’s Merchant City during the next four days. Not to mention (though, ahem, we will) our own Merchant City Music Tour.

Sun shone on the Tron when we mapped out our music route

This year’s Merchant City Festival has produced an amazingly varied programme for all ages and many events will keep you moving. Walking, dancing, skating, gliding, cycling – and if you want a seat you can always hop on a bus (have a West End Wander Wi A Clippie).

But it’s great to see so many walking tours. Guides lead you through the darker past (see the Slavery and Abolition walk) and out to brighter routes being planned for the Commonwealth Games next year (see Routes and Culture walks).

Not to be outdone, we’re celebrating this 12^th year of the festival by giving away a special edition of our Glasgow Music Tour. For the next five days you can download the Merchant City Music Tour for free (sorry, just for iPhone users so far but Android versions coming soon).

As your virtual guide, DJ Jim Gellatly, leads you round the Merchant City (with an extra diversion to the Barrowland) you will find where Franz Ferdinand held their first gig, visit haunts and hang outs of bands like Mogwai and see the theatre that launched Stan Laurel’s career – and many more stars since then! You will also visit famous music venues which are very much part of the festival (see Mono’s Family Free For All, a mini festival of its own).

And if there’s simply too much going on right now (take a look at the programme!) just download the tour and keep a great musical adventure in your pocket for later – it will still be there when the festival is over!

Don’t forget…all Glasgow Music Tourers are entitled to discounts in two of our favourite venues on the route (see Soul Food for Glasgow Music Tourers). Well, ok The Arches and MacSorleys are not strictly in the Merchant City but you can still claim your discount by showing the app on your phone.