Indoor Activities To Do In Glasgow This Winter

Winter in Glasgow is wet and cold but wonderful. The trick to enjoying the time you spend in the city in January and February is to be prepared for the weather, and that means packing the right clothes and planning to spend a good deal of time indoors. Use our guide to find the best indoor activities to do indoors in Glasgow this winter.

Top Indoor Things To Do In Glasgow

Without further ado, here are our top indoor things to do in Glasgow in the cold, dark, and wet months of the year.

Cultural Activities

There’s no shortage of cultural activities you can do indoors in winter. Attend a performance at Glasgow Concert Halls: Glasgow Concert Halls has a jam-packed programme for January and February. A few highlights include the Royal Scottish Orchestra’s performance of Handel’s Messiah (2 January), the Elvis Years – the Story of the King (13 January), Dunedin Consort – Peter Whelan Conducts Haydn (11 February), and the American Four Tops (24 February).

Watch the Snow Queen ballet: Treat yourself to an unforgettable performance of a classic story that’s perfect for this time of year, namely the Snow Queen. The Scottish Ballet will perform the show at the Theatre Royal until 8 January.

Celebrate Burns Night: Honour Scotland’s favourite poet, Robert Burns, at one of the many Burns Night events taking place throughout Glasgow. Most events include food, drink, and entertainment such as music, comedy, and poetry and spoken word performances. 25 January (with some events taking place on 20 and 27 January).

Not to be missed! This year's line-up features some incredible acts, including headliners Vistas and Baby Queen. There will also be performances from Gallus, Tiktok sensation Calum Bowie, Rianne Downey, Uninvited, Dead Pony and Spyres.

The festival takes place on Saturday 8th October 2022 and will be held at various venues across Glasgow, including The Barrowland Ballroom, Saint Luke's, BAaD, Van Winkle, 226 Gallowgate and Winged Ox. So if you're looking for a day or night of music discovery, the Tenement Trail is the perfect event for you! Grab your tickets here.

Listen to roots and folk music at Celtic Connections: Be part of Europe’s biggest celebration of roots and folk music at Celtic Connections. Highlight acts include Kate Rusby, Rozi Plain, Bonny Light Horseman and Kris Drever. 19 January – 5 February.

Explore Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum: Spend a few hours exploring more than 8,000 objects across 22 themed galleries at what’s arguably Glasgow’s finest museum and art gallery. You’ll agree it’s one of the best things to do in Glasgow in winter. Free entrance (except for small temporary exhibitions).

Activities For Couples

Spending time with someone special? These couple’s activities are perfect for winter in Glasgow.

Be pampered at a spa: Most if not all of the spas in Glasgow offer couple’s packages. Treat yourself and your significant other to a few hours of blissful pampering at an establishment such as PURE Spa & Beauty, the Gin Spa, Spa Twentysix, or the Leelawadee Thai Massage beauty and spa.

Enjoy cocktails or a meal at a rooftop bar: See the city lights twinkling in the gloom from a great vantage point while sipping cocktails or enjoying a meal at one of Glasgow’s rooftop bars. Check out Chinaski’s on North Street, an atmospheric bar and restaurant that celebrates the life of writer and poet Charles Bukowski and is known for innovative seasonal dishes.

Go on a date night with a difference: Spend an evening enjoying delicious food, creative cocktails, ping-pong, arcade games, and other fun activities at the Hillhead Bookclub, a welcoming bar with comfy seats and people who are always friendly.

Indulge in afternoon tea: A pot of hot tea and savoury or sweet finger foods are the perfect indulgence on a rainy day in winter in Glasgow. Indulge in that fine tradition of afternoon tea at the iconic Willow Tea Rooms on Buchanan Street.

Fun Indoor Activities

Discover our favourite fun indoor things to do in Glasgow. If you’re looking for ways to have a good time with your children or the whole family, you’ll find them right here:

Go Ice Skating: Head to the grounds of the Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery, where you’ll find the Ice Experience at Elfingrove, Scotland’s biggest ice rink. Until 8 January.

Have fun at the IRN BRU Carnival: Make your way to the SEC for the IRN BRU Carnival. You’ll find plenty of rides, stalls, games, and kids’ play areas – and it’s all under cover! Until 15 January.

Play mini golf at Golf Fang: Put your mini golf skills to the test on an 18-hole course that pays homage to Glasgow’s culture and humour at Golf Fang. Turn things up a notch by choosing a package that includes golf, food, and beverages. Over 18 only.

Get your roller disco groove on: What’s better than dancing to good music under twinkling lights and the magical mirror ball effect? Doing all that while wearing roller skates! Have fun at the Rollerstop Roller Disco in Middlesex Street and make memories to last a lifetime.

Jump for joy at a trampoline park: Do the kids need to burn up some energy? Treat them to a few hours at Flip Out, an indoor trampoline park with an incredible 63,000 square feet of trampolines as well as inflatable obstacles, a bounce basketball court, a bungee run, and a helter-skelter that leads to a ball pit.

Enjoy A Memorable Winter In Glasgow

Winter in Glasgow is a time to make memories that warm the heart. Find your home from home in this vibrant city at Fraser Suites Glasgow. Our location in a beautifully renovated Victorian Merchant City building is in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, putting you in easy distance of galleries, museums, and bustling nightlife. Contact us and find the best option for your stay in Glasgow, whether you’re coming for a few days’ break or on an extended business trip.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where can I take my kids on a rainy day in Glasgow?

You’ll find many kid-friendly indoor things to do in Glasgow, from the Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art to the Glasgow Science Centre, a trampoline park, a roller disco, and cinemas and theatres.

What can couples do in Glasgow?

Glasgow has much to offer couples. Enjoy wining and dining, cultural activities such as musical performances and theatre, cocktails and adults’ games nights, pampering spa packages, and fun activities such as mini golf.