Queens Park Arena has welcomed its first crowds of the summer, with visitors turning out in big numbers across the opening weekend of 4th and 5th July to kick off what organisers are calling one of the venue’s best starts yet.Produced by Inhouse Event Solutions CIC, the 9th official Queens Park Arena summer programme is now underway and running until 2 August 2026, bringing over four weeks of free and donation-ticketed events to the heart of Glasgow’s Southside. Tickets and the full events line-up are on sale now at www.qpa.inhouse.scot, with organisers encouraging fans to book early as some of the season’s biggest names begin to sell fast.Opening weekend set the tone for the season, with the first Cults & Classics screenings drawing families into the amphitheatre and the Greenhouse Tent’s workshops and DJ sets keeping the energy going long after the credits rolled. Sunday brought the first ‘Big Fun’ sessions of the year, with families settling in at the soft play tent and the licensed cafe bar open through the afternoon.Organisers say demand is building fast for August’s Sub Club Southside Weekender and the QPA Live shows and are urging anyone still deciding not to leave it too late.With the amphitheatre main stage now up and running, audiences can settle in for the return of the open-air cinema programme ‘Cults & Classics’, with weekday matinee and evening screenings shown on a giant 7.5x3m LED cinema screen in high definition for an immersive and unforgettable experience.Tuesday-Friday evening screenings also come with a specially curated pre-show, featuring a total of 10 short films celebrating rising Scottish directors and filmmakers, alongside live music from local musicians.Also returning for the season is ‘Open Stage’, the professionally produced, free arts and music showcase for local and international talent, and ‘Glasgow Games’, the fitness and wellbeing programme offering classes, competitive fitness events and live sports screenings for all abilities, including the Wimbledon 2026 Men’s and Women’s finals.‘Big Fun’ continues to bring playful early years events for young families, parents, grandparents and carers, including ‘Move Dance Go’ toddler movement classes and the popular ‘Big Bookbug’ storytelling sessions, plus 45+ free soft play sessions across the week for children aged 2 and under.Tickets also remain on sale for ‘QPA Live’, the popular series of professional music and arts co-produced festivals, including the 5th annual ‘Sub Club Southside Weekender’, the return of ‘Melting Pot, One Day In The Park’, open air live comedy from Laugh In The Park, and a run of huge live music acts still to come.Speaking after a hectic first weekend, Chet Capkiner, founding Director of Inhouse Event Solutions CIC, said:“What a way to kick off the season. The atmosphere in the amphitheatre for the first Cults & Classics screenings was exactly what we hoped for, and it says everything about what this place means to the Southside. The team has worked flat out over the past few months to get the site ready, and there is a huge amount still to come this summer. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back for the rest of the programme.”Rain, hail or shine, the fun continues in the ‘Greenhouse Tent’, a giant covered 320 square metre stretch tent with its own second screen for cinema and sports, plus a full programme of creative art workshops including DJ/MC lessons, graffiti workshops, signpainting and intro to healthy drinks. The tent also offers a reduced-noise, pet-friendly area for guests bringing their pets.Across the 32-day festival, attendees can enjoy a tempting array of food and drink, from woodfired pizza to nachos, popcorn and soft serve ice cream. The licensed cafe bar (open 12:00-23:00 daily) is pouring lager and IPA from award-winning Scottish brewers William Bros, alongside freshly roasted coffee from Glasgow’s beloved Dear Green Coffee. As evenings draw in, local selectors will be spinning records as the sun sets over the park.Still to come this summer:
● QPA Live: features some of the biggest acts the venue has ever hosted including Gary Numan, Heaven 17, Tom Meighan and Black Country New Road; Laugh in the Park
● Sub Club Southside Weekender returns for 5th edition (1st and 2nd August) with (A-Z), Chaos In The CBD, Cinthie, Eclair Fifi, Floorplan, Kerri Chandler and more TBA
● 11th/12th July, GG presents: the largest outdoor screening of Wimbledon in Scotland, a staple of Inhouse CIC’s programme at QPA since 2017
● 19th July, World Cup Final: back again on the big screen, GG presents the World Cup Final. Be part of the electric atmosphere in the amphitheatre
● 7th July to 31st July (Tuesdays to Fridays), Glasgow Games free fitness classes featuring Yoga, Zumba, Muay Thai and Dance classes
● 25th July, The Glasgow Annual Hip Hop Jam, the multi-art and multi-generational celebration of Hip Hop culture
● 26th July, Open Stage: The 5th Annual Glasgow Choir Festival, bringing together choirs from all over the city to celebrate the power of the voice
Tickets and the full summer programme are available now at www.qpa.inhouse.scot.
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