When trapeze artists from Aerial Edge took to the air at the Old Fruitmarket on Monday, they weren't just launching a funding programme — they were signalling the start of something much bigger.
The Glasgow 2026 Festival Fund has awarded £1.25 million to 163 community groups across all 23 of the city's wards, putting grassroots organisations at the heart of what promises to be Glasgow's biggest summer in a generation.
The fund, developed by Glasgow Life in collaboration with Glasgow 2026, was originally launched last year as a modest £250,000 grant programme. But when more than 400 applications flooded in, organisers knew they had struck a nerve. With backing from Commonwealth Sport, the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and sportscotland, the pot was expanded fivefold.
Now, groups across the city are preparing to deliver a dazzling range of events, performances and activities in the lead-up to and during the Commonwealth Games, which return to Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August.
From BMX to basketball, dance to athletics
The breadth of funded projects speaks to Glasgow's extraordinary community spirit. Scottish BMX School will deliver skills sessions for young riders. In Easterhouse, Henosis is planning a basketball and family festival designed to bring the neighbourhood together. Glasgow Frontrunners, the city's LGBTQIA+ running club, will host a celebration of inclusive athletics.
The creative arts are equally well represented. Y Dance, Theatre Alliance and Whacking Scotland — a collective celebrating the African-American street dance form — all received funding. A poetry showcase, a cycling accessibility charity and an urban wild space for children are among the other beneficiaries.
Each project aligns with at least one of the festival's three themes: gathering, social justice and celebration. Grants of up to £10,000 are available, with the aim of increasing participation in arts, culture and sport while creating lasting community impact.
"Trust communities and they will rise to the opportunity"
Phil Batty OBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026, said the response had been extraordinary. "It brings to life the magnitude of enthusiasm and local support for the Games returning to Glasgow," he said at Monday's launch.
"Major sporting events can spark inspiration and joy when co-created with the grassroots organisations that work in Glasgow's communities every day. The 163 local projects announced today demonstrate that when you trust artists, sports clubs and community groups to deliver engagement, they will rise to the opportunity."
Glasgow City Council Leader Susan Aitken struck a similar note of civic pride. "Glasgow's communities are itching to be part of it," she said. "With well over 150 local events taking place in every ward across the city before, during and after Glasgow 2026, we're making sure everyone has an opportunity to get involved.
"This is going to be a once-in-a-generation celebration of our city, its people and its culture — and, as they always do, Glaswegians are going to rise to the occasion."
A summer-long showcase
The Glasgow 2026 Festival runs from 23 May to 9 August, wrapping around the Commonwealth Games and turbocharging the city's existing event calendar — including Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art, Merchant City Festival, Glasgow Mela and Piping Live!
With 10 sports, six Para sports and 3,000 athletes from 74 nations descending on the city this summer, the Games will be the UK's biggest sporting event of the year. But if the Festival Fund proves anything, it's that Glasgow 2026 won't just happen in stadiums and arenas — it will happen in community halls, parks and streets across every corner of the city.
For more information, visit glasgow2026.com/festival.
