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Merchant City Festival 2013

The 12th Merchant City Festival will take place from 24 to 28 July 2013

The Merchant City Festival 2013 is set to be a Vintage year!

www.merchantcityfestival.com

The festival will have 300 events and performances across 11 arts strands with a particular highlight being Vintage Glasgow, which will take over Candleriggs, the Old Fruitmarket and City Halls in Merchant City, Glasgow on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July and transform it into a Vintage Festival delight.

Merchant City Festival will also launch the one-year to go celebrations for Glasgow 2014.  The Commonwealth Games will be the largest multi-sport event Scotland has ever hosted and a key theme for the 12th Merchant City Festival.

Some of Europe’s premier street performers will entertain the crowds and
a family zone will take over the southern part of the Merchant City ensuring Glasgow continues to build a love of the arts and a pool of incredible artist talent in the next generation.  Once again there will be the Merchant Square Dance Stage, continental markets and music stages in Brunswick and Blackfriars Street.

The festival will include music, culture, comedy, stalls, theatre, fashion, film and dance.

Festival goers can puruse the authentic vintage marketplace, watch dance displays through the decades, take part in workshops from sewing and knitting to kids’ comic superheroes and more.  There is a Makeover Salon where people can choose their decade of style from the menu and get transformed!  There will be a vintage photobooth from which festival-goers can take home memories of their day.  There will be clubs from Rockabilly to swing and of course Disco, with an opportunity to first learn the dances with organised dance lessons during the day.  There will be fashion shows and film, one of the film programme highlights will be special screenings of old footage of Glasgow, including the Empire Exhibition that took place in Bellahouston Park in 1938, some 75 years ago.  Everyone, young and old, is encouraged to dress up and take part in Vintage Glasgow’s ‘best in show’ a true celebration and sensual feast for all ages.

At night Vintage Glasgow comes alive, with two big nights programmed as part of the festival, tickets for which are now on sale.  On Saturday 27 July the legendary The Soul Casino will transform the Old Fruitmarket, with DJs Eddie Piller, Bob Jeffries and Wayne and Jack Hemingway on the decks. Tickets £15.

On Sunday 28 July twill take to the Old Fruitmarket for a glamorous evening of 1940s entertainment curated by DJ Snowboy, with the 18 piece Swing orchestra The New Squadronaires playing live, with dance lessons to help revellers get in the mood.  Tickets £20.

The Merchant City Festival encourages locals and visitors to the city to explore some of the rich heritage, architecture and history of the area, before stopping to appreciate its vibrant café culture, shops, bars and restaurants.

The Merchant City Festival will run from 24 July to 28 July, for live updates on additional events and performances as they are added to the programme follow @MerchCityFest on Twitter or visit www.merchantcityfestival.com

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