Glasgow International
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art, founded 2005 and managed by Glasgow Life. It presents free exhibitions and events by international and local artists across multiple Glasgow venues, funded through public grants, charitable foundations, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Glasgow International does
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art, founded in 2005 and operating in its current biennial format since 2008. The festival presents exhibitions, performances, and events by international and Glasgow-based artists across multiple venues throughout the city, including Tramway, Kelvin Hall, The Briggait, and various galleries and public spaces. The 11th edition is scheduled for 5-21 June 2026, with an industry preview day on 4 June. A complementary Gatherings programme provides live events, workshops, talks, and discussions during the festival period.
The festival is managed by Glasgow Life, a registered charity that delivers culture and sport on behalf of Glasgow City Council. It operates as a free, open-access cultural platform with no admission charge. Core products include the Festival Programme (exhibitions and artist projects), the Gatherings Programme (events and engagement), Access Services (audio guides, accessible formats, venue accessibility information), Professional Registration for industry visitors, and a Festival Archive documenting editions from 2010 to 2024. Technology infrastructure is limited to a standard website (glasgowinternational.org) with Google Analytics and Azure hosting; no proprietary technology platform exists.
Glasgow International's revenue model is entirely grant-funded and donation-based, with no commercial revenue from attendees. Primary funding comes from Creative Scotland, the Scottish Government Festival Expo Fund, Glasgow Life/Glasgow City Council, and EventScotland, with additional support from foundations including the Henry Moore Foundation, Art Fund, and British Council, plus public donations. The festival is supported by a network of co-commissioning and venue partners including Site Gallery, Project Arts Centre, Chapter, Whitechapel Gallery, Kelvin Hall, Tramway, and Wasps Studios, as well as international government cultural support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Glasgow International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Glasgow International
- Legal name
- Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art
- Website
- https://glasgowinternational.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art, founded 2005 and managed by Glasgow Life. It presents free exhibitions and events by international and local artists across multiple Glasgow venues, funded through public grants, charitable foundations, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Glasgow International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Festival
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
Keywords
Where Glasgow International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Glasgow International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable funding and grants: As a registered charity managed by Glasgow Life, the festival relies on public funding from Creative Scotland, Scottish Government Festival Expo Fund, Glasgow City Council, and EventScotland. Additional support from foundations including Henry Moore Foundation, Art Fund, British Council, and individual donors.
- Donations: Public donations accepted via Glasgow Life donation page. Gift Aid claimed for UK taxpayers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free admission to all exhibitions and events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Glasgow International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art, presenting an array of artists' projects across Glasgow through exhibitions, performances, and events held at multiple city venues. The festival is free and open to all, featuring work by international artists and locally-based artists, and is complemented by the Gatherings programme of talks, workshops, and discussions. It is managed by Glasgow Life, a registered charity delivering culture on behalf of Glasgow City Council.
Product overview
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art, presented at locations across the city every two years. The festival operates as a platform for experiencing contemporary art through its core Festival Programme of exhibitions and events, complemented by the Gatherings Programme of talks and workshops. Supporting services include Access Services (audio guides, accessible formats), Professional Registration for industry visitors, and a Festival Archive documenting past editions from 2010 to 2024. The festival is free and open to all, managed by Glasgow Life.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Festival Programme The biennial festival presents an array of artists' projects across Glasgow, featuring exhibitions, performances, and events by international and local artists at venues throughout the city. Targeted at the general public and arts audiences.
- Gatherings Programme A series of live events, performances, workshops, talks and discussions taking place across the eighteen days of the festival, providing opportunities for deeper engagement with themes explored in the festival programme. Targeted at the general public.
- Professional Registration Advance information and booking access for arts industry professionals (curators, critics, collectors) attending the opening weekend and festival events.
- Festival Archive Digital archive providing access to information and documentation from festival editions between 2010 and 2024, including materials from Glasgow International's records. Targeted at researchers, artists, and arts audiences.
- Access Services Accessibility services including audio guides, word-format programme guides, access guides, and information about venue accessibility features such as level access, accessible toilets, and hearing loops. Targeted at visitors with accessibility needs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free admission to all exhibitions and events
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Glasgow International
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Glasgow International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Glasgow International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Glasgow LifecoreRegistered charity managing Glasgow International; delivers culture on behalf of Glasgow City Council
- Glasgow 2026 FestivalmajorCo-funding partner for Glasgow 2026 programme
- British CouncilmajorInternational cultural exchange and support
- Assumption StudiosminorVenue support and partnership
- Wasps Studios at The BriggaitminorVenue partner hosting festival events at The Briggait
- TramwaycoreMain venue and office location for Glasgow International
- Site GallerymajorCo-commissioning partner for Rehana Zaman's Plantation exhibition
- Project Arts CentremajorCo-commissioning partner for Plantation exhibition
- ChaptermajorCo-commissioning partner for Plantation exhibition
- Whitechapel GallerymajorPartnership for Plantation exhibition
- Kelvin HallcoreMajor festival venue for exhibitions and events
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Glasgow International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Helsinki Biennial: Free biennial of contemporary art on Vallisaari island, Helsinki, with multi-site programming. Compares on free admission, multi-venue format, public funding reliance, and a relatively recent founding that mirrors Glasgow International's growth stage.
- Liverpool Biennial: UK's longest-running biennial of contemporary art, free to enter, with city-wide multi-venue programming across Liverpool. Closest format match: biennial cadence, free admission, and similar reliance on Arts Council England and local authority funding.
- Folkestone Triennial: A triennial (every 3 years) contemporary art exhibition using public spaces and unusual venues across Folkestone, UK. Comparable in its free, multi-venue, public-facing curatorial model and city-wide engagement approach.
- Yokohama Triennale: Major international contemporary art exhibition held every three years across Yokohama venues. Comparable in international artist programming, multi-venue city format, and partnership with civic cultural institutions.
- Manifesta: European nomadic biennial of contemporary art, free and open to the public, rotating between host cities. Strongly comparable as a multi-venue, free biennial format with international co-productions and public-sector co-funding structures.
- Busan Biennale: Major biennial of contemporary art in Busan, South Korea, with city-wide programming across multiple venues. Comparable in biennial cadence, international-local artist balance, and reliance on civic and national cultural funding.
- Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art: Major international biennial of contemporary art in Berlin with multiple venues across the city. Comparable in scale, biennial cadence, free entry, and curatorial emphasis on international artists and contemporary discourse.
- Edinburgh Art Festival: Scotland's other major contemporary visual art festival, also free and held annually in Edinburgh. Shares the Scottish public-funder ecosystem and comparable biennial-style programming of gallery exhibitions and artist commissions. The closest geographic and structural peer.
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale: India's first biennial of contemporary art, presenting international artists across multiple heritage venues in Kochi. Comparable for its city-wide multi-venue format, free entry, public-private funding mix, and emphasis on international exchange.
Broad incumbents
- Sydney Biennale: One of the world's longest-running biennials, presenting international contemporary art at multiple Sydney venues every two years. Larger in scale but highly comparable in curatorial ambition, multi-venue model, and public-private funding mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Glasgow International social profiles
Digital presenceGlasgow International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Glasgow International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Glasgow International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Glasgow International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Glasgow International
What does Glasgow International do?
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art, presenting an array of artists' projects across Glasgow through exhibitions, performances, and events held at multiple city venues. The festival is free and open to all, featuring work by international artists and locally-based artists, and is complemented by the Gatherings programme of talks, workshops, and discussions. It is managed by Glasgow Life, a registered charity delivering culture on behalf of Glasgow City Council.
Is Glasgow International a public or private company?
Glasgow International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Glasgow International founded?
Glasgow International was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Glasgow International based?
Glasgow International is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Glasgow International make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Charitable funding and grants are the primary driver. The others are donations.
Who are Glasgow International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Helsinki Biennial, Liverpool Biennial, Folkestone Triennial, Yokohama Triennale, Manifesta, Busan Biennale, Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, Edinburgh Art Festival and Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Sydney Biennale is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Glasgow International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Glasgow International.
What industry is Glasgow International in?
Glasgow International's product category is Arts Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAEAG, Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations. Its NAICS code is 712 and its SIC code is 7900.