Glasgow has a buzz, a soul and a personality that some of its
better-looking, more upmarket contemporaries may lack.
It's not just the Victorian architecture and wild nightlife that
blows away visitors to Glasgow - it's the down-to-earth, friendly,
sincerity of the people. And they're a creative bunch to boot. A
recent 2011 survey showed that Glasgow is home to a large
proportion of Scotland's creative community.
Glasgow's three universities, School of Art and countless colleges
mean that the city provides thousands of graduates each year, with
qualifications directly relevant to the creative industries. And,
as well as teeming with young, fresh talent there's an excellent
nightlife, music scene and countless happening bars, restaurants
and cafés. For instance, did you know that Glasgow is a UNESCO City
of Music and is hosting the MOBO awards in 2011, 2013 and
2014.
Add to this the sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games
in 2014, and festivals such as the West End Festival, or the O2
Glasgow Mela, and the 3,456 live music performances taking place
every year (excluding clubbing), which is an average of nine
performances every day!
Its not just the Victorian architecture and wild nightlife that
blows away visitors - Glasgow is a world-class business location in
a city long-established as a major business and financial services
centre. Glasgow is Scotland's largest urban economy, generating
almost £17 billion Gross Value Added each year and supporting over
450,000 jobs. Some 13,000 firms are located in Glasgow, including
one-quarter of Scotland's largest businesses. Glasgow has a
population of some 588,000 (approx. 11.4% of the total Scottish
Population) with the city's excellent public transport networks
delivering around 1.5 million people from its travel to work area,
providing a large recruitment pool.
With 4 universities and 4 major colleges, many of which directly
specialise in the creative industries, and over 200,000 students in
its travel to work area it's no wonder Glasgow is a leading UK
commercial centre. Key sectors in the region are finance, retail,
tourism, food and drink. Also adding value to the city's economy
are shipbuilding and marine technologies, enabling technologies,
energy, life sciences and creative and cultural industries. Glasgow
was crowned the 'Best UK retail centre' (outside London) in
Experian's annual retail vitality index. And, as well as
teeming with young, fresh talent there's an excellent nightlife,
music scene and countless happening bars, restaurants and cafés.
For instance, did you know that Glasgow is a UNESCO
City of Music and has hosted the MOBO awards in
2011, 2013 and will be the host city again in 2014.
Add to this the sporting events, including the Commonwealth
Games in 2014, and festivals such as the West End
Festival, or the O2 Glasgow Mela, and the 3,456 live music
performances taking place every year (excluding clubbing), which is
an average of nine performances every day!
Glasgow's cultural activities
For when you're all danced-out there's also a glut of daytime
cultural treats to inspire and make you feel clever, like the
Science Centre, Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art,
Burrell Collection or even the new Riverside Museum which takes you
on a tour of Scotland's transport systems.
Or failing that, a quick journey out of the city takes you to
breathtaking scenery and a whole host of outdoor activities.
It's no wonder that Glasgow attracts the third largest number of
tourists in the UK, with only capital cities London and Edinburgh
attracting more.*
Find out more about People Make Glasgow.
* Source: Glasgow Life