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Welcome to Piping Live! 2026 Audience Handbook
Here you will find everything you need to know about Piping Live! 2026
What is Piping Live?
What is Piping Live?
Glasgow International Piping Festival – Piping Live! is a week-long celebration of world class piping. In 2026, Piping Live! celebrates its 23rd edition, having been a key festival within Glasgow’s annual events diary since 2004.
The Festival is largely based in Glasgow and is aligned with the World Pipe Band Championship which takes place in the same week. It attracts local, national and international audiences of around 30,000 attendees every year.
Piping Live! is a vibrant, fun and exciting event. With music filling the air from morning to the wee hours, it’s a truly immersive festival. To find out a bit about the festival, head over to The National Piping Centre’s YouTube Channel. You can see short daily clips previous years as well as our round up video here.
Who runs Piping Live?
Who runs Piping Live?
Piping Live! is a project run by The National Piping Centre, a registered charity, which is the world’s centre for excellence in bagpipes. Each year, the festival invites performers from across the world, featuring pipe bands, top solo pipers, up and coming talent and the world’s best folk/trad musicians. Across the history of the festival artists from over 20 countries have taken part in Piping Live! including performers from Czechia, Italy, Greece, Hungary, France and Iran. In 2026 there will be bagpipes artists from Portugal, Germany and Ireland.
When is Piping Live?
When is Piping Live?
Piping Live! takes place in the week leading up to the World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green. The World Pipe Band Championships is run by Glasgow Life and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, and attracts around 200 pipe bands from across the globe. This year, Piping Live! will take place from 10th – 16th August, with the World Pipe Band Championships on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th August.
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