4 Best Performing Arts Venues in Glasgow, Scotland

In a former church, Glasgow's hugely successful lunchtime theater series called "A Play, a Pie, and a Pint" (and you do get all three) showcases new writing from Scotland and elsewhere. Doors open at 12:15 pm and shows begin at 1 pm Monday through Saturday. Performances sell out quickly, particularly late in the week, so book well in advance on the website.

Continually expanding, this music festival is held throughout the second half of January in venues across the city. Musicians from Scotland, Ireland, and other countries celebrate Celtic music, both traditional and contemporary. There are a series of hands-on workshops and a popular late-night club at the Royal Concert Hall.

An independent operation, the three-screen Glasgow Film Theatre shows the best new releases, documentaries, and classic films. It has several programs for young people and hosts the annual Glasgow Film Festival.

A unique spectacle, Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre is the brainchild of Eduard Bersudsky, who came to Glasgow from Russia in 1989 to continue making the mechanical sculptures that are his stock in trade. They are witty and sometimes disturbing, perhaps because they are constructed from scrap materials. They move in a kind of ballet to haunting, specially composed music punctuated by a light show. The shows are 45 or 70 minutes.