Autumn is fully underway as the sun starts to set earlier and the temperature drops but that doesn’t mean there’s little fun to be had. With awesome festivities such as Halloween taking place this month, it means we needn’t have to stay indoors. Plus, October is bursting with events and performances for you to indulge in, let alone the food and drink. So, without further ado, here’s our guide to the best things to do in Glasgow to make for an epic October.
1. Witness this huge fireworks festival
A brand new Scottish fireworks festival is set to light up the skies this autumn, inviting guests to celebrate Halloween and Bonfire Night at the Royal Highland Centre. Located 45 minutes from Glasgow, the Fawkes Festival will take place on November 3, boasting a spooky atmosphere with the backdrop of the castle, as well as a 20-minute firework display complimented by music and lights.
2. Play social darts at this lively Glasgow bar
Flight Club is a social darts bar and a competitive socialising concept ready to welcome friendly competition. Located on George Street, Flight Club has livened up Glasgow’s bar scene, offering visitors a chance to participate in multiplayer games, as well as indulge in creative cocktails and small bites.
3. Admire a soulful Candlelight Concert of Hans Zimmer’s Best Works
Get into the feels in a romantic setting at the beautiful Òran Mór on October 10 with this stunning candlelight concert, where a string quartet of talented performers will play their own renditions of Hans Zimmer’s best works. Think This Land from The Lion King, Tennessee from Pearl Harbor and Pirates of the Caribbean suite. You can book your tickets on Fever.
4. Go pumpkin picking
It’s October which means seasonal events like Halloween and Bonfire Night are creeping our way, plus the huge countdown to Christmas. But first on the agenda for autumn has to be Halloween. Whether you’re doing it for the ‘gram or just absolutely love getting your carve on, there are a number of pumpkin patches near Glasgow you can visit this autumn. From the start of October through to Halloween, pumpkin patches near Glasgow will not only be brimming with pumpkins but also plenty of activities to get involved in from carving to photoshoots with your produce. Check out the best pumpkin patches near Glasgow where you can pick your own pumpkins here.
5. Get transported to a trick-or-treat-themed land in this year’s new GlasGLOW outdoor show
GlasGLOW is bringing back its annual event bringing the essence of Halloween and life beyond death to the city. Between October 25 and November 10, Glasgow Botanic Gardens will be transformed into the spooky world of the beloved Ghostbusters. The adventure trail will take up to 70 minutes, bringing chills and thrills to guests of all ages as well as some feel-good interactive light installations.
6. Visit the spookiest spots in the city on the Haunted Glasgow City Exploration Game
Embrace the spooky season with a ghostly journey around one of the most haunted cities in the world. This hair-raising tour sends you around Glasgow to uncover clues and find out all sorts of sinister stories about the buildings that are brimming with a dark history. Kicking off from Glasgow Central Station, the 65-minute experience sends you to 14 different locations, each one more haunting than the last. Make sure to enlist the brightest minds you know and brush up on your Sherlock, you’ll need all the help you get as you search the city for answers.
7. Check out this country-themed bar with a bull pit
Rock, rodeo and all things American fans will be over the moon to find out there is a themed bar in Glasgow, boasting a bull pit, live rock music every night and live sports. As a result, the new venue Maggie’s Rock ‘n’ Rodeo will become Scotland’s first country-themed bar. Go check it out and have the best time!
8. Go to the rudest cafe in the UK
Located on Minard Road in Shawlands, Rude Cookies is a women-led independent business where you don’t have to be scared of swearing. Rude Cookies calls themselves “the baddest bakery in Glasgow”, and could possibly be considered the rudest cafe in the UK with their uncensored cookies. On top of being decked in pink, the cafe boasts funny artwork, and a very special door handle that you will just have to go see for yourself (wink wink).
9. Attend an evening of disco at the Riverside Museum
The nights of November 1 and 2 will be as memorable as they get, with its disco revolution in One Night at the Museum. Visitors will be granted a chance to visit an era of pure decadence, excess, glamour and music with a one-of-a-kind event inside Glasgow’s contemporary venue. So, just dress up in your best fancy dress and get your groove on this Halloween!
10. Eat delightful seafood at this speakeasy restaurant
Sole Club is a hidden seafood restaurant behind a takeaway fridge door, seating 20 people in an intimate, trendy atmosphere. Two new culinary experiences have arrived at Sole Club, introducing The Chippie Club with six courses and The Club Classics for quick lunches. Guests can expect delights like Smoky Sausage Supper, Kedgeree Scotch Egg, Fish Kiev and Whole Lemon Sole.
11. Try ice baths, infrared saunas, red light therapy and other high-tech treatments
Holon is Glasgow’s newest health and wellbeing centre in Glasgow’s West End offering ice bath and infrared sauna sessions, red light therapy, HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy), VR and more. What is more, there is a quaint room upstairs for yoga classes, where guests can disconnect from their everyday struggles by giving their minds a break.
12. Go see ‘Blood Brothers’ the musical
Bill Kenwright’s award-winning ‘Blood Brothers’ is coming to Kings Theatre Glasgow between October 15 & 19 with Glaswegian actor Vivienne Carlyle returning to the iconic role of Mrs Johnstone. The musical explores the delicate nature of life and death, following a story of two twins separated at birth.