The Southside Fringe is back with their 2019 installment, again aiming to highlight the best of what this once overlooked part of the city has to offer.
It’s not just that other areas of the city have become too expensive or, in a couple of instances, progressively soulless, the southside has in recent years been steadily gaining popularity on its own merits.  It has cracking venues in The Glad Cafe, The Academy and The Rum Shack. The Tramway is rightly regarded as one of the country’s best contemporary art spaces, its principal exhibition space is one of the largest in Europe. There’s top notch food from Cafe Strangebrew and Julie’s Kopitiam and the brand new Civic Square at Langside Halls [pictured] to show off.  It’s not just about Shawlands and Strathbungo though, there’s loads going on all over the southside this spring.
This year’s launch weekend will see the first Southside Fringe Community Procession to the new Civic Square in Shawlands.  In keeping with the Fringe’s ethos of community collaboration it’s being run in conjunction with Baldy Bane Theatre Company and Shawlands Business Improvement District with the aim of highlighting local diversity.  This will be a great opportunity to bring everyone together, showcase the best in independent local businesses and a carnival atmosphere is guaranteed. The annual summer parade is something that the West End Festival has sorely missed, maybe the southside can grow this event to fill the gap?
10th of May, the festival’s opening night will see the launch of their still top secret brand new music initiative.  Details are being kept firmly under lock and key but we’re told that it’s all about supporting local grassroots talent and we can definitely get behind that.
The finale weekend of the festival (25th & 26th of May) will see Southside Fringe and Park Lane transform this Shawlands lane for the closing weekend of the festival. Expect lots of awesome entertainment from the Fringe family of acts along with tasty food and lots of good times.
With music, art, comedy, walking tours, local markets, theatre, literature and more, the festival programme is as deep as it is wide. Pick up your copy of the programme from hundreds of locations around the city, grab a highlighter and get planning.
The Southside Fringe runs from 10th till 26th May with over 140 events at locations around the southside of Glasgow.
Find out more at Southsidefringe.org.uk
