Glasgow Film Festival grows its audience and sets dates for 2027

Glasgow Film Festival has reported another year of growth. The 22nd edition of Scotland's largest film festival, held in February and March 2026, reached an attendance of 37,215 across premieres, pop-up screenings, youth and community initiatives and industry events.

Cinema admissions rose by 5%, with more sold-out screenings in Cinema 1 at Glasgow Film Theatre, the festival's largest venue. The addition of Odeon LUXE at The Quay gave audiences a new location outside the city centre, and in total 11 venues took part, including Berlinky's on Sauchiehall Street, the festival's new after-hours home, The Pyramid at Anderston and Glasgow University Union.

Guests included James McAvoy, Alice Winocour, George MacKay, Peter Mullan and Lynne Ramsay, whose career began in Glasgow and who received GFF's Cinema City Honorary Award at a sold-out In Conversation event. The festival welcomed 134 filmmakers, and the GFF Audience Award went to French director Melisa Godet for her debut feature, A Place For Her.

The festival's commitment to affordable cinema for all continued, with attendance at free events up 24%. These included the popular free retrospective, this year themed Truth to Power and featuring ten classics from the 1930s to 2014, with free tickets available each morning at GFT. Pop-up youth and community events took place at GFT, Adelaide Place and Glasgow Women's Library.

The industry side grew too. GFF welcomed 745 press and industry delegates, doubling international participation over two years, and its Industry Focus programme at The Social Hub in Merchant City drew 4,155 admissions. A new Made in Glasgow strand showcased the city's filmmaking sector.

The festival is run by Glasgow Film, the charity that also runs Glasgow Film Theatre. Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said the festival's continued growth is a powerful reflection of its energy, ambition and appeal, and that it remains one of the world's most welcoming film festivals.

Twenty-two hotels, restaurants and bars partnered with the festival, welcoming audiences and filmmakers from across the UK and beyond.

Glasgow Film Festival returns from 24 February to 7 March 2027. Programme news will be published by Glasgow Film and Glasgow Film Theatre.