Glasgow events & things to do in December 2026
Start with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, The Burrell Collection, plus Riverside Museum and Tall Ship. December in Glasgow averages 7°C / 44°F highs, 1°C / 34°F nights, and about 18 rainy days.
Expect 7°C/44°F days and about 18 rainy ones in December. Start with these:
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum★ 4.7 · 24.7k reviewsThe red-sandstone museum opened in 1901 in Kelvingrove Park and displays Scottish art, European paintings, natural history, armor, design, and…
- The Burrell Collection★ 4.7 · 2.9k reviewsThe collection reopened in Pollok Country Park after a major renovation and holds medieval art, tapestries, Chinese ceramics, stained glass…
- daydreamersDec 1King Tuts Wah Wah Hut · Source: Ticketmaster
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By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
Glasgow in December 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
44°F / 34°F
6.9°C / 0.9°C
RainPrecipitation
18d
6.3in · 160mm
LightDaylight
6.7h
December is the wettest stretch, with Christmas lights and indoor music venues carrying the visit.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Dec 1 – Dec 24
Glasgow Christmas Market
Annual festive market held in George Square featuring artisan stalls, food vendors, and seasonal entertainment.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 2
- Dec 2
Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert - The Film With Live Orchestra
Arts & Theatre · Theatre.
Source: Ticketmaster
Show all 39 events for December
- Dec 3
Glasgow Christmas Lights Switch-On
Official event marking the start of the festive season with the illumination of the city’s Christmas lights, including live performances.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 3 – Dec 4
- Dec 4 – Dec 5
- Dec 4
- Dec 5 – Dec 31
Theatre Royal Pantomime: Cinderella
Traditional Scottish pantomime production of Cinderella, a popular family Christmas theatre event.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 5
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 7
- Dec 8
- Dec 8
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 10 – Dec 30
Glasgow Film Theatre Christmas Season
Special seasonal film screenings including classic Christmas movies and new releases at the independent Glasgow Film Theatre.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 10
- Dec 11 – Dec 20
Celtic Connections Winter Music Festival
A renowned winter music festival celebrating Celtic music and its connections to cultures worldwide, featuring concerts and workshops.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 11 – Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 13
- Dec 13
- Dec 14
- Dec 14
- Dec 15 – Dec 23
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Christmas Concerts
Series of festive classical and choral concerts held at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 15
- Dec 16
- Dec 16
- Dec 17
- Dec 17
- Dec 18
- Dec 18
- Dec 19
- Dec 19
- Dec 20
- Dec 21
- Dec 30
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
- Dec 26Boxing DayPublic holiday
- Dec 28Boxing Day (substitute day)Public holiday
- Dec 25-Dec 28Long weekend
- Dec 25-Dec 27Long weekend
- Dec 26-Dec 28Long weekend
About Glasgow
City overview
Glasgow sits on the River Clyde, with Merchant City, the West End, Finnieston, Southside, East End, and city-center grid showing a former shipbuilding and industrial city turned museum, music, food, and architecture base. Charles Rennie Mackintosh, sandstone tenements, Victorian civic buildings, and live music give the city its strongest traveler identity.
Food & drink
Glasgow food mixes Scottish comfort with South Asian cooking: fish suppers mean battered haddock or cod with chips, square sausage rolls show up at breakfast counters, pakora and curry are part of the city's late-night and family-restaurant rhythm, and tablet is a crumbly sugar-and-condensed-milk sweet. Finnieston, Merchant City, the Barras, Byres Road, and Pollokshaws Road are better routes than a single market hall.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Riverside Museum and Tall Ship
- 2Mackintosh House and Hunterian Museum
- 3People's Palace and Glasgow Green
- 4Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis
- 5Glasgow Botanic Gardens
- 6George Square and City Chambers
1Riverside Museum and Tall Ship
4.6★ · 1,872indoorOpen dailyZaha Hadid designed the transport museum, which opened on the Clyde in 2011 with trams, locomotives, cars, bicycles, subway cars, and street reconstructions. The Tall Ship Glenlee is moored outside.
2Mackintosh House and Hunterian Museum
4.6★ · 2,246indoorClosed MonThe University of Glasgow museum includes a reconstruction of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh's home interiors, plus art, science, and medical collections. It sits on the Gilmorehill campus.
3People's Palace and Glasgow Green
4.4★ · 3,621indoorThe museum in Glasgow Green covers working-class life, politics, leisure, and social history, with the Doulton Fountain outside. The park is the city's oldest public green space.
Show 3 more sights
- 4Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis
- 5Glasgow Botanic Gardens
- 6George Square and City Chambers
Neighborhoods
1Merchant City
Merchant City is polished and central, with restaurants, bars, galleries, City Halls, Trongate, and easy walks to George Square.
2West End and Hillhead
The West End is leafy and student-heavy, with Byres Road, Ashton Lane, University of Glasgow, Kelvingrove, Botanic Gardens, and subway access.
3Finnieston
Finnieston is food-and-nightlife focused, with Argyle Street restaurants, bars, the SEC, OVO Hydro, and routes toward the Clyde.
Day trips
35km / 45min by train from Glasgow Queen Street to Balloch
Loch Lomond
The loch adds boat trips, Balloch Castle Country Park, viewpoints, and access to Trossachs scenery.
45km / 30-40min by train from Glasgow Queen Street
Stirling
Stirling Castle, Old Town streets, Wallace Monument, and Bannockburn history make an easy rail day.
60km / 45-60min by train from Glasgow Central to Ayr or Troon
Ayrshire coast
Beaches, Robert Burns sites, golf coast towns, and island ferry options change the urban pace.
Getting around
SPT Subway circles the center and West End, while ScotRail, buses, and contactless payments cover wider trips. Use the subway for West End-Finnieston-center loops, trains for Pollokshaws/Balloch/Stirling, and walking for Merchant City to George Square.
Planning a Glasgow trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Common questions about Glasgow in December
- Best rainy-day things to do in Glasgow in December
December averages 18 rainy days in Glasgow, so keep these indoor stops as realistic backups.
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum — The red-sandstone museum opened in 1901 in Kelvingrove Park and displays Scottish art, European paintings, natural history, armor, design, and Salvador Dali's Christ of Saint John of the Cross. It is near Kelvinhall subway.
- The Burrell Collection — The collection reopened in Pollok Country Park after a major renovation and holds medieval art, tapestries, Chinese ceramics, stained glass, sculpture, and paintings collected by Sir William Burrell. It pairs with Pollok House and park walks.
- Riverside Museum and Tall Ship — Zaha Hadid designed the transport museum, which opened on the Clyde in 2011 with trams, locomotives, cars, bicycles, subway cars, and street reconstructions. The Tall Ship Glenlee is moored outside.
- Mackintosh House and Hunterian Museum — The University of Glasgow museum includes a reconstruction of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh's home interiors, plus art, science, and medical collections. It sits on the Gilmorehill campus.
- People's Palace and Glasgow Green — The museum in Glasgow Green covers working-class life, politics, leisure, and social history, with the Doulton Fountain outside. The park is the city's oldest public green space.
- What to pack for Glasgow in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic Glasgow checklist.
- A warm coat and insulating layers for average highs around 7°C / 44°F.
- A heavier evening layer because nights average 1°C / 34°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 18 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in Glasgow
- 3 days covers the main Glasgow highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
Ready to plan Glasgow?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day Glasgow plan for December 2026, every place checked for your exact dates.