Celebrating 100 years of Glasgow’s Carnival at Christmas

Festive extravaganza opens its doors for 2019-20 a century after it was first held.

One of the country’s best-known festive events is celebrating its centenary.

The Glasgow Carnival – featuring dozens of fairground rides – opened its doors for 2019-20 on Friday, 100 years since the extravaganza was first held.

It first opened at the city’s Kelvin Hall in 1919 before moving to the SEC in 1986, where it remains today.

This year’s Carnival will also include a ‘hall of memories’ and a special exhibition charting its history.

Greg Cherry, managing director of QD Events, said: “It’s the people who have kept the magic of The Carnival alive for the last 100 years and it was important to us that this year’s event honoured the many generations who have helped make the Carnival a Glasgow landmark.

“To put it into numbers, the Carnival has lived through one world war and 25 prime ministers. It has seen the invention of the internet, of computers and smartphones and all the while remained a firm festive tradition.

“As part of our Memorabilia Hall, we have a whole section dedicated to showcasing the real memories of those who have been attending the Carnival over the years and we’ve been blown away by the amazing connection visitors hold with it.

“We hope that the people of Glasgow will join us in celebrating our centenary year and continue making even more memories here over the next 100 years.”