What's On in Glasgow This Weekend

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers — One of Glasgow's most beloved lunchtime institutions returns to the glorious Oran Mor, pairing a brand-new short play with a hot pie and a well-earned pint — all for a bargain that would make any culture lover weep with joy. Today's offering dives into the rich, eerie world of Celtic mythology, conjuring the Badhbh-Shith and a cast of storytellers that promises something genuinely haunting and atmospheric, perfectly timed for Halloween weekend. Kick off your Friday at 1:00pm and leave feeling thoroughly fed, watered, and culturally nourished — check the website for tickets.

Paul Heaton — The man who gave us The Housemartins and The Beautiful South — one of Britain's most warmly loved songwriters — brings his extraordinary back catalogue to the OVO Hydro at 6:30pm, and this is the kind of show that fills an arena with genuine affection rather than mere spectacle. Expect singalongs of the highest order, a razor-sharp band, and that rare feeling of a room full of people who all know every word. Check the website for tickets, and do not sleep on this one.

Trad Friday Sessions @ Blackfriars — If you want your Friday evening to start with something warm, rooted, and completely alive, head to Blackfriars of Bell Street at 4:00pm for their beloved Trad Sessions, where some of Glasgow's finest traditional musicians gather to play the kind of music that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It's informal, it's joyful, and it's the perfect antidote to the relentless noise of the modern world — just great tunes in a great pub. Check the website for any entry details and get there early to grab a good seat.

Apocalypse Theorists w/ T3xtur3, Minerva Wakes & Jackal Trades — For just £8, SWG3's intimate Poetry Club room hosts a genuinely exciting bill of alternative and experimental live acts at 7:00pm, headlined by Apocalypse Theorists alongside a supporting lineup of T3xtur3, Minerva Wakes, and Jackal Trades. This is the kind of gig where you discover your new favourite band — rough-edged, forward-thinking, and utterly committed to the moment. SWG3 has a way of making even its smaller rooms feel like the most important place in the city, and tonight is no exception.

GANAS: Dia de los Muertos — As the Halloween weekend hits its stride, Firewater plays host to GANAS and their Dia de los Muertos celebration from 10:30pm — a night that honours the Mexican festival of the dead with music, colour, and serious dancefloor energy. Tickets are priced at £5–£11, making it one of the most accessible late-night events in the city tonight, and the Firewater crowd always brings the right kind of chaotic warmth. If you want your Halloween to feel genuinely celebratory rather than just spooky, this is the one.

PRTY x HSSH Halloween: CADZOW [All Night Long] — If you are serious about your night out, CADZOW playing all night long at the O2 Academy from 10:00pm is about as good as it gets in Glasgow's club calendar — a Halloween special from the consistently brilliant PRTY x HSSH crew that promises hours of peak-time electronic music in one of the city's best large venues. Tickets are £20–£35, and for a proper all-nighter of this quality that is money very well spent. Dress up, give yourself over to it, and see the weekend in properly.

High Vibes Community Fayre — Kick off Halloween morning with something warmly communal at the Tannahill Centre in Paisley, where the High Vibes Community Fayre rolls in from 10:30am. This is the kind of local gathering that reminds you a city is made of people, not just venues — expect stalls, creativity, and a buzz that costs nothing but your time. Check the website for entry details and make a morning of it before the spooky chaos descends.

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers — Oran Mor's legendary lunchtime theatre slot takes a thrillingly dark turn for Halloween with Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers, drawing on Celtic mythology to conjure something genuinely eerie alongside your pie and pint. Kicking off at 1:00pm, this is theatre that feels alive and unpretentious — a proper Glasgow institution doing what it does best. Check the website for tickets and consider this the most satisfying lunch break imaginable.

I Am A Raver Under 16s: Halloween Rave — Yes, you read that right — a full Halloween rave at Saint Judes After Dark designed specifically for under-16s, starting at 3:00pm and priced between £5 and £15. This is an absolute gift for parents who have ever watched their kids light up at the mention of a big beat drop, giving younger ravers a safe, electric space to go absolutely wild in costume. If you know a teenager who lives for music, this might just be the best Halloween they ever have.

The Australian Pink Floyd — The OVO Hydro opens its cavernous arms to The Australian Pink Floyd at 6:30pm, and if you have ever wondered what it feels like to be inside a laser-lit, stadium-scale sonic cathedral, here is your answer. This band's faithful and spectacular recreation of Floyd's live show is genuinely breathtaking, the kind of event that turns casual fans into devotees. Check the website for tickets and brace yourself for a night that will rattle your chest in the best possible way.

Halloween Murder Mystery — ARTA is already one of Glasgow's most dramatically beautiful venues, all candlelit archways and theatrical grandeur, so staging a Halloween Murder Mystery there from 7:00pm feels almost unfairly perfect. At £60 a head this is a proper occasion — dress up, play detective, eat well, and lose yourself entirely in an evening designed to be talked about for years. Gather a group, commit to a costume, and let ARTA do the rest.

Optimo Espookio Ft Nurse [Live], Ribeka [So Low] & Optimo — If Halloween night needs a proper send-off, Saint Lukes and the Winged Ox from 9:00pm is where the serious dancers will be gathering, as Optimo — one of the most beloved and brilliantly unpredictable club nights in British music history — unleash their annual Halloween special. With Nurse playing live alongside Ribeka and the Optimo duo themselves, expect a set list that refuses to be boxed in and a crowd that absolutely means it. Tickets are £20 and worth every penny for what promises to be a spellbinding, sweaty, euphoric end to the most theatrical night of the year.

Soul on The River with The Divas Soul Band — There are few more joyful ways to spend a grey November afternoon than letting a powerhouse soul band lift the roof off The Ferry while the Clyde rolls by outside. The Divas Soul Band bring the full package — big voices, big grooves, and the kind of warmth that makes strangers feel like old friends. Kicking off at 3:30pm and priced at £5–£20, this is an absolute steal of an afternoon out.

Overmono - Pure Devotion- World Tour — Welsh electronic duo Overmono have been one of the most talked-about acts in dance music for the past few years, and catching them on a world tour at the legendary Barrowland Ballroom is genuinely a red-letter night. Expect pulsing, textured electronics that blur the line between rave and something far more cinematic, delivered in a venue with one of the best sprung dancefloors on the planet. Doors at 7:00pm — check the website for tickets before they disappear.

Papa Roach — Rock royalty descend on the OVO Hydro at 6:30pm as Papa Roach bring their relentless, era-defining energy to one of Glasgow's biggest stages. Whether you have loved them since Last Resort or you are a newer convert, this is the kind of arena rock show that reminds you why live music exists — loud, communal, and completely cathartic. Check the website for ticket and premium venue options.

Desi Central Comedy Show in Glasgow — The Glee Club plays host to what promises to be one of the funniest rooms in the city on Sunday night, as Desi Central brings its celebrated comedy showcase to Glasgow at 7:00pm. Known for platforming sharp, culturally rich South Asian voices with mainstream crossover appeal, it is the kind of night that has audiences howling and thinking in equal measure. Tickets are £20 — brilliant value for a full comedy lineup.

I Am A Raver Baby: Halloween — If the Halloween spirit is still very much alive in your soul, Princess Bar has you covered with this daytime-into-evening rave kicking off at noon. It is the kind of event where the fancy dress is as committed as the dancing, and the music policy leans hard into the euphoric end of electronic music. Entry ranges from £0–£30 depending on when you arrive and how early you plan your Sunday — an inspired way to ease out of the Halloween weekend.

Joe Wells: Daddy Autism — Rounding out the night at The Stand Comedy Club from 8:00pm, Joe Wells brings his critically praised show exploring fatherhood, neurodivergence, and the beautiful chaos of both — with the kind of honest, disarming comedy that stays with you long after you leave. The Stand is one of Scotland's finest comedy rooms, intimate and always perfectly pitched for an act like this. Check the website for tickets, and do not underestimate how much you need this one.