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Plan your visit

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Glasgow.

Whether you are joining us for just a couple of days or planning an extended trip to include Sound Festival in Aberdeen, or seeing more of Scotland we know you are keen to get organised!

Accessibility

The installation at Glasgow Cathedral is accessed via steps and there are no toilet facilities at the Cathedral – the nearest accessible toilets are at the St. Mungo Museum about 15 minutes away.

All other venues have a range of accessibility options. Please see Euan’s Guide, Glasgow Life and the venue’s own website for an overview of facilities, parking and reviews.

Please see Visit Glasgow for general accessibility information about Glasgow.

Accommodation

The Festival hotel is the Maldron Hotel.

The hotel is within walking distance from the bus station, Queen Street and Central train stations (3 – 12 minutes) and the main Festival venues (5 – 20 minutes).

The Festival rates are: £90/ £100 for single/double with breakfast. To book the rate, please call +44 141 340 9720 or email res.glasgow@maldronhotels.com and quote the code: NORFES24

The Maldron has a green tourism accreditation, and options for family, connecting and accessible rooms and vegetarian, vegan and other dietary options in the breakfast and dinner menus.

Currency

Pounds sterling (GBP). Scottish and English banks print their own bank notes, so you may receive notes that look different, but their value is the same.

Electricity

The UK uses three-pin plugs.

Bring an adapter for phone/laptop etc. If you are travelling from outside the UK.

Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, please call 999 for an ambulance, fire service or police assistance.

Health and health and travel insurance

The European Health Insurance Card is still valid in  Scotland and enables access to free treatment.

If you are from a non EEA country or Switzerland, you will be required to pay for any medical treatment.

We recommend that you also have travel and health insurance to cover your visit.

Further information can be found on the National Health Service NHS inform website.

Language

Scots, (Scottish) English and Scottish Gaelic – though you are less likely to hear Gaelic in Glasgow.

Scots has many different dialects. See the 'Scots Language Centre' for background.

There are some language links between Scots, Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish. Scots Gaelic, Finnish and Greenlandic have different roots. For example:

  • Scots: Quine (Doric dialect) meaning woman is Kvinde (DK), Kona (FO), Konu (IS), Kvinne (NO) and Kvinna (SE)
  • Scots: Greet, meaning to cry is Græde (DK), Gráta (F/I), Gråte (NO) and Gråte (SE)
  • Scots: Hoose, meaning house is Hus (DK, NO, SE) and Hús (FO, IS)
Mobile phone

If you are travelling from outside the UK, please check roaming charges with your provider, since the UK is no longer in the EU and charges may apply.

Photography and recordings

The programme notes where concerts are being recorded for broadcast.

Most events will be documented by a photographer, therefore there is a possibility that your photo may be taken as an audience member, however, in these cases, they will be general/ group rather than identifying photos.

Programme change

In the event of circumstances beyond our control the programme may be subject to change or cancellation.

Tickets

For events at City Halls, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the New Auditorium and the Old Fruitmarket, tickets can be purchased through the Glasgow Life Box Office.

For the event at Glasgow Film Theatre, tickets can be purchased via their box office.

For all other events, tickets can be purchased through the Centre for Contemporary Arts Box Office.

Please also see the event listing in the what’s on section for a direct ticket booking link.

Tickets will not be available to purchase or collect on the door.

Time Zone

Greenwich Mean Time. This is the same time as Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

One hour behind Denmark, Norway, Sweden (Central European Time), two hours behind Finland (Eastern European Time) and two hours behind Greeland (Western Greenland Time).

Tourist information

Please see Visit Glasgow and Visit Scotland for ideas on extending your visit and seeing more of Scotland while you are here.

Travel

Nordic Music Days would like to mitigate climate impact and encourage everyone travelling to the festival to consider ways to reduce carbon footprint where possible.

Coming to the festival:

If you are travelling to the festival from outside of Glasgow, ways to reduce carbon footprint can include:

We appreciate that coming from island nations and remote areas, care and work responsibilities mean that overland and longer travel time away from home and families may not be possible. We will be discussing these kind of challenges in our industry programme this year – why not join the debate?

Arrivals into Glasgow:

By train: Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central Station are within 5 – 10minutes walking distance of the recommended hotel and 5 – 20 minutes walking distance from most Festival venues

By bus: Buchanan Street Bus Station is 2minutes walk to the recommended hotel

From Glasgow airport: Glasgow Airport Express 500, operates a 24 hour service with a journey time of 15minutes. Tickets (£17 return) can be bought in advance or on the bus. Arrives Buchanan Street Bus Station.

From Edinburgh airport: Citylink AIR Glasgow 900, operates a 24 hour service with a journey time of 50miunutes, tickets (£26.50 return), can be bought in advance or on the bus. Arrives Buchanan Street Bus Station.

Getting around Glasgow:

Glasgow has one of the world’s oldest subway systems, fondly known as ‘The Clockwork Orange’, as its colour scheme is orange and it runs in a clockwise and anti-clockwise loop! See the venues section for the nearest subway stops.

Venues
Picture shows a map of glasgow with numbers indicating where the festival venues are

The installation at Glasgow Cathedral is accessed via steps and there are no toilet facilities at the Cathedral – the nearest accessible toilets are at the St. Mungo Museum about 15 minutes away.

All other venues have a range of accessibility options.

Please see Euan’s Guide, Glasgow Life and the venue’s own website for an overview of facilities and reviews.

Adelaide Place 209 Bath Street   (Subway: Cowcaddens + walk) Map 14

Advanced Research Centre (ARC), Concert Hall, Memorial Chapel Map 12, 10 and 11  

Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA)  350 Sauchiehall Street  (Subway: Cowcaddens) Map 15

City Halls and The Old Fruitmarket  100 Candleriggs, Merchant City  (Subway: Buchanan Street) Map 17

Glasgow Cathedral Castle Street  (Subway: Buchanan Street + walk) Map 6

Glasgow Film Theatre 12 Rose Street  (Subway: Cowcaddens) Map 8

Glasgow Necropolis Castle Street  (Subway: Buchanan Street + walk) Map 6

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 2 Sauchiehall Street  (Subway: Buchanan Street) Map 13

Glasgow Science Centre Planetarium Pacific Quay (Subway: Cessnock + walk) Map 4

GoMA Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art 111 Queen Street (Subway: Buchanan Street + walk) Map 16

Hillhead Library 348 Byres Road  (Subway: Hillhead) Map 7

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Argyle Street. (Subway: Kelvin Hall) Map 3

Kelvingrove Park  Gibson Street       (subway: Kelvin Bridge) Map 2

New Auditorium  Glasgow Royal Concert Hall , Killermont Street  (Subway: Buchanan Street) Map 13

Waterstones 153 - 157 Sauchiehall Street  (Subway: Cowcaddens) Map 9

 

Google Maps Venue List

 

VISAS

EU nationals can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor without a visa.

Check your eligibility here. Make sure your passport has 6 months on it and you can show proof of return travel.

Weather

Guests arriving from the Nordic region will feel at home in Glasgow, where the saying ‘there is no bad weather, just bad clothing’ also applies.

See ‘Why does it always rain on me’ by Travis (formed in Glasgow), and the 'Top Ten Scottish Songs' about rain.