Queen Margaret Union

What Queen Margaret Union does

Queen Margaret Union (QMU) is a registered Scottish charity (Charity No. SC001239) and one of two student unions serving the University of Glasgow. Founded in 1890 and headquartered at 22 University Gardens, Glasgow, QMU operates a dual-function venue combining student union services with a legendary live music venue that has hosted iconic acts including Nirvana and Queen. The organisation employs 27 staff and operates under a President and executive team including a Vice-President for Membership, Clubs & Societies and a Board of Management.

QMU's core product is its multi-purpose venue, which hosts an active calendar of live music gigs (50+ events listed across August-November 2026), alongside supporting facilities including a bar, cafe, games area, and bookable meeting rooms. Food and beverage offerings extend to Peko Panda, an in-house Asian restaurant. The organisation also operates QMUnicate Magazine as a student editorial property, runs a free membership programme for University of Glasgow students, and oversees affiliated clubs, societies, committees, and student elections. The technology footprint is modest, centred on a Wix-based website for event listings and space bookings, with ticketing outsourced to third-party platforms (SeeTickets, Skiddle, TicketWeb, Ticketmaster) and marketing distributed across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, and email.

QMU's commercial model combines four revenue streams: ticket sales and event revenue (driven by third-party promoters including 432 Presents, DF Concerts, PCL Presents, AGMP, Gotobeat, Synergy, The Pad, and Regular Music), space and venue hire (commercial vs. student pricing tiers), food and beverage sales, and free membership (a freemium loss-leader anchoring student engagement). Distribution is hybrid — physical at the Glasgow venue, online via ticketing platforms, and through in-person membership services. As a Scottish charity affiliated with the University of Glasgow, QMU operates on a not-for-profit basis with constrained commercial expansion but stable institutional positioning.

Name

Queen Margaret Union

Legal name

Queen Margaret Union

Website

https://qmunion.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Queen Margaret Union is a registered Scottish charity and University of Glasgow student union that operates a historic 1890 live music venue in Glasgow, hosting 50+ annual gigs alongside student services, bar, cafe, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Union & Live Music Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

University & Educational Venue Operations (Auditoriums, Campus Arenas) (MPAGALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Organizations & Club Administration (EDALAHAB)

Keywords

• Student union services
• Live music venue
• Venue space hire
• Student membership programs
• Event ticketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live music events and gigs hosted at the venue. Events are promoted by third-party promoters (432 Presents, DF Concerts, PCL Presents, AGMP, Gotobeat, Synergy, The Pad, Regular Music) who organize shows at the venue.
2. Space and Venue Bookings: Revenue from hiring out venue spaces. Commercial bookings are priced differently from student and society bookings. Meeting rooms and event spaces available for private functions.
3. Food and Beverage: On-site bar service and Peko Panda Asian restaurant generating food and beverage sales. Cafe facilities also available on premises.
4. Membership: Free student membership available for University of Glasgow students. Membership provides access to union services, events, and space bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Queen Margaret Union operates as a student union and live music venue providing live music events, food and beverage services (bar, cafe, Peko Panda Asian restaurant), bookable meeting and event spaces, and student membership with affiliated clubs, societies, committees, and elections. The venue is the primary commercial offering, hosting concerts promoted by third-party promoters and ticketed through established platforms, while student union services support the University of Glasgow student community.

Product overview

Queen Margaret Union (QMU) operates as one of University of Glasgow's two student unions, offering a portfolio of venue, hospitality, and student services. The core offering is a legendary music venue (established 1890) that hosts live concerts and events. Supporting facilities include a bar, cafe, games area, and bookable meeting rooms. Food services are provided through Peko Panda Asian Restaurant. QMU also operates QMUnicate Magazine and provides membership programs with affiliated clubs and societies. Additional services include a gig mailing list subscription and cloakroom facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Music Venue Historic live music venue hosting concerts and live performances, with shows promoted by third-party promoters (432 Presents, DF Concerts, PCL Presents, AGMP, Gotobeat, Synergy, The Pad, Regular Music). Age restrictions vary by event (14+ or 18+). Tickets sold through SeeTickets, Skiddle, TicketWeb, and Ticketmaster.
• Student Membership Free membership program for University of Glasgow students providing access to union services, club and society participation, events, and preferential rates for space bookings. Sign-ups are open via the QMU website.
• Clubs and Societies Affiliation program for student clubs and societies operating under the QMU umbrella, providing governance, affiliation administration, and access to union resources and event spaces.
• Meeting Rooms (Space Hire) Bookable meeting room facilities available for student societies, committees, and social groups for meetings and events. Commercial and student/society pricing available with differentiated rates.
• Bar On-site bar facility at the QMU venue serving drinks to members, gig attendees, and visiting groups.
• Cafe Cafe facility operated at the QMU building serving students and venue visitors.
• Peko Panda Asian Restaurant Asian restaurant located within the QMU building, part of the venue's food and catering offerings for students, members, and visitors.
• QMUnicate Magazine Student magazine published by QMU, featuring content for the University of Glasgow student community and accessible via qmunicatemagazine.co.uk.

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Glasgow University Union (GUU): The other student union at the University of Glasgow, operating a comparable bar, venue, and event programming model serving the same student catchment. Direct functional overlap on space bookings, membership, and live entertainment.
• Manchester Academy (University of Manchester Students' Union): University-of-Manchester-affiliated live music venue with multiple capacities operated through the students' union, hosting touring and promoter-driven gigs in the same student-union venue model.
• Bristol SU (Anson Rooms): Bristol University students' union operating a live music and events venue (Anson Rooms) within the same student-union-meets-music-venue hybrid as QMU.
• Edinburgh University Students' Association (The Pleasance / Potterrow): Major UK student union operating multi-venue entertainment facilities (The Pleasance, Potterrow) including live music, theatre and bar venues. Closest analogue in terms of student-union-as-venue-operator hybrid model.
• Leeds University Union: Large UK student union running a busy live music and club venue programme alongside student services, club/society affiliations and venue hire — a strong functional and scale match to QMU.

Regional players

• Barrowland Ballroom: Iconic Glasgow music venue competing with QMU for the same promoter-driven touring circuit and Glasgow live-music audience, but at a substantially larger capacity and without the student-union dimension.
• King Tut's Wah Wah Hut: Legendary Glasgow grassroots music venue operating a similar mid-sized, promoter-driven gig model. Direct comparator for capacity, programming style, and audience demographic in Glasgow.

Broad incumbents

• O2 Academy Glasgow: Larger chain-affiliated Glasgow music venue operated by Academy Music Group. Competes for the same touring promoter circuit at higher capacities, representing the commercial incumbent in the same geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qmunion
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBNF-Vf_X3Y9tDv3r0n6cDQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/QMUnion
• Instagraminstagram.com/qmunion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queen-margaret-union

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Queen Margaret Union