Scotland’s biggest week of bagpiping officially came to a close last night with Piping Live! rounding off its 21st edition in the city with the Sunday Survivor Session at the National Piping Centre.

The jam-packed programme of events included lively concerts, captivating recitals, engaging workshops, hard-fought competitions and the sensational Big Band showcase, which saw a record number of 170 pipers and drummers lining Glasgow’s West End streets. 

The festival enjoyed a raft of sell out shows including the International Quartet Competition, The Masters Solo Piping Competition, A Q&A Performance with Ally the Piper and the Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge as the event further cemented its long-held reputation as the most exciting and diverse bagpiping festival and celebrations in the world.

Taking place in the lead up to the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green, Piping Live!’s 2024 edition showcased performers from 10 countries across the world – from Sweden and Germany to Australia and Hong Kong – across 10 outdoor and indoor venues including Saint Luke’s, Waxy O’Connors and Nice N Sleazy.

Recognised as the world’s largest festival, Piping Live! transforms Glasgow’s landmarks and venues into stages for homegrown talent and international artists alike. The unmistakable sound of Scotland rang out across the city for its nine days, creating an electric atmosphere and delighting crowds in the process.

Finlay MacDonald, Artistic Director for Piping Live!, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who has made this year’s Piping Live! festival a resounding success – from the incredibly talented performers to the dedicated organisers and volunteers, our sponsors and funders, and everyone who attended the events, we are so grateful for your support in making the 21st edition of Piping Live! one of our most popular and well-attended festivals to date.

“We’re delighted that a record number of 170 pipers and drummers joined the Big Band parade this year, showcasing their enthusiasm and passion for the national instrument and celebrating Scotland’s rich musical heritage. To welcome 30,000 attendees across the festival and host musicians from across the world, filling Glasgow’s streets and venues with the sounds of piping, was extremely heartening.

“We look forward to building on the success of our 21st event with future editions of Piping Live! as we continue to fulfil our mission to enrich lives through piping, champion Scotland’s cultural prowess and show that piping and drumming is open to everyone.”

Glasgow Life Chair, Bailie Annette Christie, said: “Piping Live! has enjoyed a fantastic 21st edition and been a great success. Spanning contemporary and traditional music, this year’s dynamic and diverse programme of entertaining events really offered something for everyone, so was extremely well received by a wide range of audiences.  The great attendance at the festival, and also at the 2024 World Pipe Band Championships on Friday and Saturday, demonstrate how much interest and enthusiasm there is for the stirring and versatile sounds of our national instrument. These two outstanding international events attract thousands of visitors to Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, enhancing its cultural reputation and boosting tourism, so we are delighted and proud to host them.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Piping is a quintessential part of Scotland’s identity and Piping Live! is a fantastic week-long celebration of one of our most unique instruments and sounds.

“Events play an important role in our communities, providing the perfect stage to come together and share memorable experiences. EventScotland is proud to have supported Piping Live!, which has welcomed visitors and performers from around the world to enjoy the event’s exciting programme of performances and competitions. Congratulations to the organisers and all the volunteers on the successful delivery of the 21st edition of Piping Live!.”

High points across the week included non-stop action at the festival’s The Street Café, held each year outside The National Piping Centre on McPhater Street, which hosted daily gatherings, performances from an array of emerging talent, pipe band practices and a special Q&A session with social media sensation Ally the Piper, which drew an incredible crowd.

The Maket Collective, a new online platform of inspirational women from across piping and drumming, also launched. The initiative named after the first named piper in history, a woman named Lady Maket who was playing the pipes in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, is a new space which promotes and amplifies the voice and talent of influential women in piping and drumming. Tuesday’s event welcomed stand-out female piping and drumming talent including Andrea Boyd (piper), Margaret Houlihan (piper), Mackenzie Forrest (snare), Sarah Staub (tenor drumming), Hazel Whyte (piper) and Brighde Chaimbeul (pipes).

Further highlights of the festival included an iconic performance from Scottish folk fusion outfit Croft No. Five. The much-loved band were joined by celebrated piper Ailis Sutherland, for a specially created, one-off spectacular at Saint Luke’s in Glasgow’s East End. John Mulhearn’s The Pipe Factory provided the support, delighting the crowds with his latest project celebrating Glasgow’s unbeatable music scene. Avant garde Ceol Nua concert featuring innovative fusion trio The Sólàs Collective and the exciting Nexus Project led by Australian piper Bede Patterson also wowed audiences at popular Sauchiehall Street venue Nice N Sleazy on Monday night.

Competition was hard-fought throughout the week with the best competing pipers battling it out for coveted trophies and medals in a range of disciplines.

Bobby Allen took the crown at this year’s Pipe Idol under 21 solo piping competition on Thursday 15th August following a series of head to head heats over three days. On the same day, Angus MacColl won the Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. 

It was an impressive field as 22 pipers competed in the Masters Solo Piping Competition Piobaireachd event with Alan Bevan of Canada triumphing and qualifying for the 51st Annual Glenfiddich Piping Championship later this year.

Buchanan Street and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum turned into stages across the week welcoming talent from near and far to delight passers-by. On Friday, one of Scotland’s leading performers Ross Ainslie rounded off the week with a performance on the pipes and whistles accompanying the world-famous organ in the museum’s central atrium.

The festival, supported by a record 60 volunteers this year, also celebrated learning and development with the beloved Learn@Live! workshop series.  The Come and Try Sessions also offered the perfect opportunity for anyone interested in giving Scotland’s iconic national instrument a go, with dozens of people picking up the bagpipes for the very first time.

Piping Live! will return next year from 11th – 17th August 2025. Further information on upcoming events can be found at www.pipinglive.co.uk.

Piping Live! is a charity, donations to support its world-class programming into the future can be made at https://pipinglive.co.uk/pages/support-us.