World-famous tenor who has won four Brit Classical Awards and is still the only artist to top the UK and US classical charts at the same time.

Experience Vivaldi’s iconic masterpiece The Four Seasons as you’ve never heard it before. A cornerstone of classical music, this vivid and revolutionary work captures the essence of nature with breathtaking virtuosity and emotional power. Its influence continues to echo through centuries of music-making, and remains one of the most beloved compositions in the classical canon. This captivating programme, performed by the celebrated Piccadilly Sinfonietta and leading violinist to be announced, promises an evening of elegance and inspiration. With over 200 performances annually, this acclaimed ensemble—featuring some of the UK’s most gifted virtuosi—has become a mainstay on the British classical scene. The evening's programme will contain Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' with a selection of other, renowned classical masterpieces.

Uncover the history of Glasgow on this self-guided audio tour. Using the mobile app, start from Glasgow Cathedral where you’ll meet St Mungo, the city’s patron saint, and discover the city’s humble beginnings 1,500 years ago. Wander through the High Street and take a leap forward into the 1400s when Glasgow started to take shape and the Tobacco Lords strolled in the 1700s. Journey through the ages, visiting numerous monuments, including the Statue of William III, Nelson and the Glasgow 2014 Monument.

Glasgow Cathedral Festival returns from 18–21 September 2025, with a bold and celebratory programme marking Glasgow 850. Inspired by the city’s reputation as a place of community and invention, this year’s festival draws together cultural and scientific influences across a range of artforms: from established classical music favourites to cutting-edge contemporary sounds, and intimate theatre to immersive, cult cinema. Within the ancient walls of a building steeped in history, GCF once again fuses tradition with innovation to present new experiences for diverse audiences—reflecting both the legacy and the potential of a city shaped by its people.

I was never going to go down with the ship. I rose. From forgotten princess to fabled mother of Glasgow—step into a poetic reimagining of the legend of Thaney in MAIDEN MOTHER MAGE. Created and directed by poet and playwright Rebecca Sharp, this powerful tale of exile, resilience and transformation weaves dramatic verse with an evocative live score by composer Alex South. Thaney – also known as St Enoch – was a 6th-century survivor of abuse who gave birth to the city’s founder and patron saint, Mungo. GCF brings her story to the awe-inspiring surroundings of St Mungo’s Cathedral: channeling her essence through three powerful female archetypes portrayed by Scottish actors Israëla Efomi, Taylor Dyson and Heather Cochrane. As the Lothian princess rises amidst the tumult of our contemporary world, her story asks: how do we reclaim the past to shape a different future? In tandem with this performance, GCF hosts an exhibition of creative writing and visual art, crafted by community groups from key locations in Thaney’s life: P7 girls from North Berwick, Ukrainian women from Dalgety Bay and Kurdish women from Glasgow. Responding to new Thaney iconography created by artist Frances Law, their work explores the play’s themes of refuge and resilience, and was developed through sessions led by Rebecca Sharp and Historic Environment Scotland. Amplified by natural soundscapes, these works are brought to life in the voice of each participant—telling of the displacement, strength and survival in their own stories. The book of the Maiden Mother Mage text (published by Matecznik Press), which also contains further information on the overall project, will be available to buy at the performance.

As dusk permeates Glasgow Cathedral’s lower church, venture into a space where sound is alive, unpredictable and profoundly human. Violinist Emma Jane Lloyd presents an intimate programme of contemporary music, exploring the expressive depths of her instrument through extended techniques, electronics and open-ended interpretation. Drawn from her newly released album, 'mue', each work Emma brings to GCF inspires a unique approach to the violin—spanning themes of transformation, solitude and collaboration. Rylan Gleave’s 'Small Haven' entwines delicate violin lines with haunting electronics; Émilie Girard-Charest’s 'Mue' navigates the fragility of change; Egidija Medekšaitė’s 'Mishra Pilu' unfolds as a meditative tapestry of Indian raga-inspired textures; Matthew Whiteside’s 'freely, darkly, deeply' loops and layers sonic fragments; while Emma’s own 'caprices esquisses' push the instrument to its limits. Shaped by risk, discovery and the raw beauty of imperfection, this mesmerising twilight experience invites you to listen deeply and reflect quietly, opening space for your own meaning to emerge. This concert is presented in collaboration with The Night With… and supported by PRS Foundation’s Beyond Borders Scheme. Due to the layout of the vaulted crypt, some seats will have a restricted view of the performers. Please note the Lower Church is a multi-level space with uneven flooring—if you require assistance or cannot use stairs, please let us know in advance and we will ensure your access needs are supported.

Continuing our late-night series in the cathedral’s atmospheric lower church, we invite you to enter a fragile ecosystem of pulsing tones and coalescing waves. This quietly enchanting performance for double bass and electronics is crafted by Ollie Hawker and Zoe Markle to hold you in breathless quiet. Unashamedly still, the duo’s music embraces a simplicity and fragility so delicate it feels as if it might vanish on a gust of wind. Within the sanctuary of the lower church, this gossamer soundworld finds a safe harbour. The pair explore unique sonic landscapes full of interference patterns, free improvisation and incredibly subtle electronic manipulations—all rooted in the emotional immediacy of contemporary classical music. Alongside their own work, Ollie and Zoe present pieces by two composers who share their fascination with understated beauty. Benjamin Portzen’s You, the rain is heartbreakingly tender—a sigh of exhaustion and one of relief, a work for grieving and for laughter, in search of connection and solitude. This hushed evening closes with a new edition of David Fennessy’s The Room is the Resonator, specially revised for GCF. Fennessy writes of the bassist’s part intertwining with ‘a long, held chord which I recorded on an old harmonium that resides in the garage of my girlfriend's mother in Aberdeen. There's something about that instrument, that garage, that day—there's a stillness in that room, you can hear yourself…’ Due to the layout of the vaulted crypt, some seats will have a restricted view of the performers. Please note the Lower Church is a multi-level space with uneven flooring—if you require assistance or cannot use stairs, please let us know in advance and we will ensure your access needs are supported.

Witness musical history being made, as internationally acclaimed American organist Katelyn Emerson gives the world premiere of a major new work by celebrated British composer Roxanna Panufnik. Commissioned across three nations and nearly two decades in the making, the complete Cum Jubilo Organ Mass will now be heard for the first time at this landmark performance in Glasgow Cathedral. The first and only British organ mass of this century, Panufnik’s radiant new work is a powerful celebration, and a prayer for global unity, inspired by the ancient cum jubilo (‘with joy’) plainsong. Brimming with colour and vitality, it embodies a message of hope and of cultures combining to work together—the perfect spirit in which to celebrate Glasgow 850, with our city beginning as a place of refuge and diverse community, and continuing to be so over the years. Known for her musical storytelling and recent commission for the Coronation of King Charles III, Panufnik has a unique voice, full of light and clarity. This music finds the perfect interpreter in Katelyn Emerson – a prizewinner on three continents and ‘a star of the first rank’ (Orgue Canada) – who brings the mass to life in its first full performance. Join us and be part of this joyful premiere!