The Piping Live! Big Band will return for its 8th showcase at this year’s festival. Pipers of all ages and abilities are invited to take part. In 2025, the Big Band will parade from Mansefield Park in Partick to the concourse at the iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It will step off on this 0.5mile route at 12noon, arriving at the museum around 12.20pm.
 
The Piping Live! Big Band is a mass participation event that opens our festival. 200 pipers will gather, ranging from young learners playing their chanters, to seasoned professionals playing the pipes in their retirement.
 
The Big Band will walk the streets of Glasgow performing a repertoire of tunes that everyone can play. The Piping Live! Big Band is open to anyone who plays a practice chanter, bagpipes, snare, bass or tenor drum, or is a drum major! All ages are welcome. Past events welcomed musicians aged 8-86.
 
This year, the event is supporting Scotland-based charity the Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust, which was established in honour of the talented piper, Eilidh MacLeod, who died at age 14 in May of 2017 from the Manchester Arena Attack after the Ariana Grande concert. The trust aims to bring children and young people into the piping and musical communities by supporting their musical education in all genres and disciplines. The Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust has supported thousands of young musicians, offering them the opportunity to discover and share the same deep love of music that Eilidh MacLeod cherished.

Registrations are now open until 12noon UK time on Monday 21st July, so register soon to take part! Once you register, our team will be in touch, sending on a welcome pack and the tunes for the band for 2025. The tunes will all be well-known and are beginner-friendly. If you don’t know them, that’s fine, just join in with what you can!  

REGISTER HERE
 
Big Band Stewards
To help make sure the Piping Live! Big Band all happens without a hitch, we are looking for stewards to help marshall at the parade. You dont need any prior expereince, and will be given a hi-vis vest and on the day instructions. You will march with the parade, making sure our participants stay safe while playing.
 
If you would like to be a Big Band Steward, please email contact@pipinglive.co.uk