And it’s back for a fifth year of fantastic music. Cross the bridge to the Govan Music Festival 2026!
The Govan Music Festival has been entertaining the city since 2022. Very much an inclusive event, the wealth of talent in the Govan community is ever expanding. At the helm again this year is Paul MacAlindin of The Glasgow Barons. Paul took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Westender about what we can expect in 2026.
The Govan Music Festival, now in its fifth-year, returns to our neighbours across the bridge this March. This is a festival about Govan, a festival which breaks all misconceptions, a festival about community.
At the helm is Executive Artistic Director of the Glasgow Barons, conductor and festival organiser, Paul MacAlindin. Westender was delighted to speak to Paul ahead of the festival, where he revealed his love for the Govan architecture, the work of the Barons all year round and gave an insight into how the festival brings so many aspects of the Govan community together.
Overture
Kicking things off on Sunday 22nd March, the fantastic Musicians in Exile are performing a world music set with musicians from Glasgow University. The University have quite a strong presence in Govan now and Paul had the idea of using a very impressive venue for the event, The Grand Ole Opry. The night will involve a collaboration between Ceithir, who are a ceilidh band of Glasgow University graduates, playing alongside Musicians in Exile. Founded in 2018 by The Glasgow Barons, these musicians have experienced asylum and refugee journeys in order to find a home. That home is Glasgow, and these incredibly talented musicians have found a family, support and an outlet for their craft through this community project. The night is a celebration of coming together – traditional Scots and world music, musicians of different backgrounds and faiths, united in music.
And… it’s the Grand Ole Opry! Paul says, ‘Part of the ethos of the festival is putting events into venues that usually wouldn’t have those event. The Grand Ole Opry is famed for Country and Western for line dancing classes. Students love it for it’s authenticity. But interestingly Musicians in Exile have performed there several times. It played host to their first concert. Plus it’s a great dancing venue which is why I am putting on the ceilidh.’
Concerto
On Wed 25th March, the festival turns to the real pros – Govan Schools Choirs. Such is the popularity of the choirs, that they now also perform at the Govan Winter Gathering. This is another aspect of the festival breaking down barriers. The schools involved are multi-faith and multi-cultural, inclusive of abilities and with one voice. Two of the schools involved are global majority schools, one school – Hazelwood school – has many students who have Additional Support Needs. All are consummate professionals. The inclusion of the schools choirs is, not only a joy for the audience, but as Paul says, ‘Everyone of the kids gets a huge self-confidence boost. Deprivation and poverty do a lot of damage to a child’s self-belief. We help the schools to use music as a non-academic subject for children to excel.’
A stand-out performance this year, The Great Govan Sea Voyage, will be performed by P5/6 of Riverside Primary. Paul explains. ‘This is next level performing. We put a Theatre Director and a Composer into the school last September – every week… this is a new musical theatre piece as the kids are studying shipbuilding as a theme. It’s been a real co-creation with the kids taking the lead on the prompts, on the text on the rapping, on the music and it’s really John Binnie (Director) and Karen MacIver (composer) who are then pulling it together into a 30-minute show.’ One not to miss.
On Thursday, finally the Glasgow Barons take to the stage with the Auld Alliance, a nod to our Scottish/French connection. There will be a world premiere of Richard Grier’s Inheritance. The second half of the evening will be MacMillan’s The Exorcism of Rio Sumpul which, because of the venue of Govan and Linthouse Parish Church, will have a massive impact due to the acoustics. Being so close to the performance will be a powerful experience; leaving the venue, the orchestra still serenading you.
Symphony
Freed Up Friday’s event takes place, unsurprisingly, on Friday 27th. The Barons have been supporting Freed Up’s work since the first Govan Music Festival. The organisation provides sober events for the recovery community. Paul explains ‘People’s creativity is at the heart of these events. Donna Boyd, who runs Freed Up has been running a singer-songwriter workshop in the recovery community. So they’ll be presenting brand new songs.’ In the mix of professional artists performing are Hunter and McMustard. John MacAlinden is of course Colonel Mustard of Colonel Mustard and the Dijon Five fame.
This duo is another of his creations. Also on the line-up is Hawaii 5-0, a Govan singer-songwriter who has been supported by the Barons for the last few years, has been commissioned to write five new songs. Singer-songwriter workshops, new works; this is what creativity looks like. Paul says ‘We’re driving home creativity, premieres, and regeneration in the recovery community. Recovery artists playing to a recovery audience. It brings people together in a fun but sober way and helps to solidly establish the recovery community in a place like Govan, which has struggled with addiction over decades’.
Also scheduled for Friday is the Four Barons string Quartet with a stunning programme including Schubert. Paul notes that last year’s Schubert concert was sold out, which only reflects that now, listening to a string quartet in Govan? It’s sought after.
The String quartet also work throughout the year with Baby Strings. This is Glasgow City Council’s programme for Primary one – five in four schools across Govan and citywide. The children learning violin hear the String quartet live. It’s both an opportunity to learn but also Paul notes ‘It [classical music] impacts on brain development, concentration and attention. Teachers have reported improvement in the child’s academic ability after a music lesson. It boosts a child’s brain power.’
Encore
To round things off, a brand new event. Bhangra Night on Saturday, the last night of the festival, is a celebration of Asian culture. Given that a large chunk of Govan is an Asian community, Paul feels that as an arts community, they are woefully underrepresented. As such, The Glasgow Barons and the festival want to begin to serve the very diverse Asian community. On the night itself, DCS, one of the most famed Bhangra bands in the world, are coming to Govan. A new project, Rootless, will see the Govanhill Andoglaso charity team Roma musicians with classical Indian musicians. A very special collaboration with exceptionally talented musicians, united in their art.
Also on the bill Cosmic Dancers, a colourful dance group from Edinburgh, will fill the event with colour and energy. Paul appreciates that the South Asian community is vastly more diverse and larger than this night can reflect, but we can all agree that it’s a great first step in addressing a community that’s often overlooked.
Beyond the Stage Door
Paul is delighted that Creative Scotland have now agreed on multi-year funding for the festival; this is the first year. In securing the funding, it allows the team to concentrate on the events, the artistry, the creativity. And it continues a tradition of rock bottom pricing. No one should be discriminated against in terms of enjoying the music. All are welcome.
This festival is a condensed version of what the Glasgow Baron’s are all about. It’s a condensed version of what’s happening on the Govan streets.
Paul ends by saying ‘To me what the Barons, the festival, is all about is bringing people together in new ways, ways which celebrate our architecture and our community assets. It’s a way to get people locally and across the city, thinking and feeling and hearing Govan in a brand-new way. And if I as a guy who lives here can do that, maybe others can do that in their own community. Regeneration has knock on effects.’
The Govan Music Festival
Sunday 22nd March – Saturday 28th March
For Full Programme visit –
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