Surge Festival
Surge Festival returns to the Merchant City with fabulous and unique street theatre acts from around the UK and the world. A diverse selection of fantastical performances will be joined by our Four Nations bursary acts, newly developed by street performers from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.
THE PLACE by Eléctrico 28
A poetic and animistic approach of our relationship with places.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Ramshorn Graveyard |
| 12:00–12:50pm & 2:30–3:20pm | Age Recommendation: 7+ | Headphones provided | Ticketed Event |
The Place is a series of intimate attempts to rethink the relationship we have with the places we are in. Two human beings and an audience want to understand more about these entities we call places, searching for ways to communicate, listen and empathise with them.
We are not sure if places have the same desires, but we want them to know that we care about them, even though our human minds can sometimes be as limited as a swimming pool.
During the performance, you will be watching, standing, thinking and moving a little and you will be wearing headphones. Please inform event staff if you have any access requirements. Age recommendation: 7 years+.
MDR – DEATH FROM LAUGHTER by Los Galindos
An improbable crime, a suspicious trial and an absurd punishment.
| FRIDAY 24 & SATURDAY 25 JULY |
| Glasgow Collective, 15 East Campbell St |
| 7:00pm | Age Recommendation: 14+ | Strictly no photography or videography during performance | Ticketed Event |
MDR is a farce to disturb and entertain. Melon, Mardi and Rossinyol face an unexpected conflict. Their untamed and clumsy nature and the need to exist take them to an improbable show, where they freely explore any atrocity.
This hilarious and terrifying experience transmits the story of a truthful and rough friendship, caused by a sense of responsibility and of guilt. An improbable crime, a suspicious trial and an absurd punishment. As a paradox, they might cause the desire to die from laughter.
Please note: this performance contains themes and scenes which may not be suitable for all. Age Recommendation: 14+. Audience discretion is advised. Strictly no photography or videography during performance.
WINDBAGS by Ronan McMahon
Parading unmissable inflatable wonders! Curious, musical, and very emotional idiots.
| SATURDAY 25 AND SUNDAY 26 JULY |
| Walkabout |
| 12:30–1:15pm & 2:45–3:30pm |
A walkabout performance for all ages, Windbags are parading unmissable inflatable wonders! As well as curious, musical and very emotional idiots. New things and new meetings physically inflate them into elaborate, awkward and beautiful shapes!
This show is part of a Four Nations Bursary Programme supporting artists to create new outdoor work.
Co-created by Ronan McMahon & Fergus Dunnet. Performed & devised with Fiona Manson, Sita Pieraccini & Ben Winger. Puppetry Consultant: Nick Wilson. Design consultation & making: Gretchen Maynard-Hahn, Julia Dalroy & Roy Mohan Shearer. Dramaturgy consultant: Naomi O Kelly.
Created with the help of R&D funding from Manipulate, the Merchant City Festival Residency, and the Imaginate & OneRen Family Day Commission.
GLORY MOLD: 2084 by Produced Moon
It’s 2084, the world is in drought, and something strange and magical is growing in the ruins of one of the old world’s tech centres.
| FRI 24 – SUN 26 July and FRI 31 July – SUN 2 August |
| Location to be announced |
| 12pm - 5pm (5 hours per day) |
It’s 2084, the world is in drought, and something strange and magical is growing in the ruins of one of the old world’s tech centres.
Speaking to Glory Mold through humanity’s last working keyboard, audiences will interact with a playful, fungi-fuelled AI that will immerse them in non-human ways of thinking. Glory Mold invites us both to go back to the beginning and look into the future with new eyes.
Funded by Creative Scotland. Developed through Watershed’s More Than AI Sandbox, funded by MyWorld.
SUNSHINE AND RAIN by Puppet Club
Giant Puppets, Sunshine and Rain, explore the streets of Glasgow.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY / SAT 1 & SUN 2 AUG |
| Walkabout |
| 25 & 26 July: 12:45–1:15pm & 3:00–3:30pm | 1 & 2 Aug: 12:30–1:00pm & 2:45–3:15pm |
Join Sunshine and Rain as they explore the streets of Glasgow. This is a walkabout act of two large parade puppets. Both characters play, follow and draw crowds in. They portray very different emotional characters. This is reflected through the design and physical build of both puppets, as well as how they are performed.
These opposite characters reflect the ancient Greek tragedy and comedy masks, but in a modern context, referencing the elements rain and sun.
IRISH WAKE AMUSEMENTS by Rob Heaslip
Games to pass the time.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY / SAT 1 & SUN 2 AUG |
| Bell Street |
| 25 July: 3:45–4:30pm | 26 July: 12:30–1:15pm & 3:45–4:30pm | 1 Aug: 12:45–1:30pm & 3:30–4:15pm | 2 Aug: 1:15–2:00pm & 3:30–4:15pm |
There is a book, named Irish Wake Amusements, which chronicles the unruly games once played by people to pass the time at lengthy Irish wakes. Rob Heaslip invites you to enjoy feats of agility and merriment once conjured to entertain the visitors who had come to pay their respects to the deceased.
Often frowned upon, these games were guilty pleasures to amuse oneself at an otherwise sanctified and respectful affair. The Catholic Church banned many of the games and they eventually died out. Until now.
BRASS, AYE?
With a penchant for the gold and shiny, we bring singing, dancing, and carnival flavours to every party.
| SUN 26 JULY / SUN 2 AUG |
| 26 July Show 1: Garth St | 26 July Show 2: Walkabout | 2 Aug: Bell Street |
| 26 July: 2:15–3:00pm & 5:00–5:45pm | 2 Aug: 2:30–3:15pm & 4:15–5:00pm |
With a penchant for the gold and shiny, we bring singing, dancing, and carnival flavours to every party. Our music and make-up have evolved over the years, with fostering growth and creating joy at the heart of what we do.
But like our music, our penchant for gold and shiny has evolved too. Once donned with a single golden t-shirt, we're now often found gilded head to toe. All complemented by bringing maximum funk + party wherever we go.
TRUTH! by Ramshacklicious & Hijinx
A Dadaists take on a brighter future, a quiet rebellion.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Garth Street |
| 1:00–1:30pm & 3:45–4:15pm |
Ramshacklicious & Hijinx Present: TRUTH! A unique outdoor performance by a 5 strong, inclusive ensemble of playful troublemakers! The rebellion arrive — full of hope, fiercely comic & on a mission to disrupt the public norm.
The audience join in with the unfurling games, exploring power and control. A curious sense of excitement bubbles, uniting THE PEOPLE in a joyful riot of love! TRUTH is a Dadaists take on a brighter future, a gentle call to action, a quiet rebellion.
Ramshacklicious are Southwest anarchic theatre troublemakers. Hijinx are widely considered to be one of Europe's leading inclusive theatre companies.
COMMUNITY STREET THEATRE @ SURGE FESTIVAL by Nemo Arts
Our Community Street Theatre project sees Surge join forces with Nemo Arts.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Walkabout |
| 1:15–1:45pm & 3:30–4:00pm |
Our Community Street Theatre project sees Surge join forces with Nemo Arts to bring one of our walkabout acts to the streets of Glasgow at Surge Festival. Expect silliness, expect absurdity, and expect the unexpected.
Project delivered by Surge, supported by Glasgow Life and Merchant City Festival.
MISS MARY by Kristyn Fontanella
Come share the stories & steps that live within us all.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Garth Street |
| 25 July: 2:15–2:50pm & 5:00–5:35pm | 26 July: 5:00–5:35pm |
Miss Mary is an Irish tradition which no longer exists. An outdoor celebration of Irish music and dance where the performer, Kristyn Fontanella, recalls and reclaims the lost traditions of the travelling dance masters.
Traveling through parks and fields, embodying the land and its stories, she arrives at a gathering of people, she invites them to exchange and listen. She asks them: Where did you come from? How do you move? Will you dance with me?
Miss Mary gathers ancestors, nostalgia and community, sharing the stories that live within us all.
ALIH by Gigi Art of Dance
ALIH/SHIFT: an immersive Dance performance of Connections/Cultures/Conversations on human response.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Brunswick Street |
| 1:30–2:15pm & 4:15–5:00pm |
ALIH/SHIFT is an immersive dance performance that brings movement, memory, and environment together in an immersive visual experience. Rooted in social exploration, it reflects how people adapt and respond to constant change in their lives.
Through 5 distinct movement studies, the performance reveals the shifting relationships between individuals, their surroundings, and their personal histories. Each scene captures moments of instability, resilience, and transformation.
ALIH will turn public space into a living canvas, where stories of change unfold and human connection takes centre stage in an ever-evolving world. Inviting you to witness human connection, cultural exchange and create conversations.
FUNKY FLOWERS by Surge Techbox
They've got the songs. They've got the moves.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY / SAT 1 & SUN 2 AUG |
| Brunswick Street benches |
| 12:30–1:15pm & 2:45–3:30pm |
They've got the songs. They've got the moves. Stuck together in one flowerbed, these "flowers" bicker, rehearse and pull themselves together for the crowd.
Sing to them, and if they like what they hear, they'll respond. Joyful, unruly and full of character, they're convinced they've got something special. You decide.
A Surge Tech Box Project.
A RHYME FOR ORANGE by Suzie Ferguson & Igor Narovski
A clown and a buffoon are carrying a bag of oranges. Where to? It doesn't matter: they will never get there.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY / SAT 1 & SUN 2 AUG |
| Walkabout |
| 1:30–2:15pm & 3:45–4:15pm |
A clown and a buffoon are carrying a bag of oranges. Where to? It doesn't matter: they will never get there. The oranges spill onto the ground, each one a story played out; an opera, a tragedy, a farce.
The spilling oranges, in their bright beauty are an irresistible invitation to the public to connect and loosen to unexpected and spontaneous ways of being.
A new collaboration between Igor Narovski & Suzie Ferguson, with outside eye support from Peta Lily. Funded by Creative Scotland.
DOMTE by Cia Nacho Flores
A poetic and visual contemporary circus piece that contrasts domination with collaboration.
| SAT 1 & SUN 2 AUG |
| Brunswick Street |
| 1 Aug: 12:00–12:45pm & 3:30–4:15pm | 2 Aug: 12:30–1:15pm & 3:30–4:15pm |
A poetic and visual contemporary circus piece that contrasts domination with collaboration. With live music and inspired by a mythological imaginary, we witness the transformation of its protagonist: what begins as an exercise of control evolves into a collective experience, where the audience becomes an active part of the action.
Balancing on fragile wooden structures, the performer navigates between risk, precision and trust, moving from domination towards a shared and liberating freedom.
REST WAGON by Liz Strange
A slow roaming performance making space for collective public rest.
| SAT 25 JULY / SAT 1 AUG |
| Walkabout |
| 25 July: 12:00–12:45pm & 4:45–5:30pm | 1 Aug: 1:00–1:45pm & 3:15–4:00pm |
Rest Wagon is a playful roaming performance that gently interrupts the rush of the festival. Blending softness, curiosity and subtle interaction, it invites audiences to slow down and rest together in public places.
By placing care, access and connection at its centre, it highlights how public spaces discourage rest and reinforce constant productivity. It offers a rare moment to pause, reset, reconsider our relationship with rest, and imagine a different pace of living.
Informed by lived experience of chronic illness, Rest Wagon asks what happens when rest becomes visible, shared and unapologetic.
WAVE: ALL AROUND THE WORLD by UMAKOKO
Interactive outdoor dance experience uniting cultures through rhythm, movement, community.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Brunswick Street |
| 12:15–12:45pm & 3:00–3:30pm |
Wave All Around the World is an interactive outdoor dance experience with two performers, Vithoria and Favour, where the audience becomes part of the show. From the first clap, rhythm is built live through movement, body percussion, and shared energy, transforming public spaces into a vibrant dance floor.
Blending street dance styles from across cultures, the piece celebrates dance as a universal language that connects communities through joy, expression, and participation. Expect powerful movement, music created in real time, playful audience interaction, and a high-energy finale where everyone is invited to join the wave together.
This show is part of a Four Nations Bursary Programme supporting artists to create new outdoor work.
DAWNS DAWNS DAWNS by Krystal S. Lowe
90's Nostalgia + Dynamic Dance + Huge Hopscotch Board = Dawns Dawns Dawns!
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Walkabout (Bell Street finale) |
| 2:15–2:45pm & 4:45–5:15pm |
It's the year 1997 and these friends haven't a care in the world except whether or not their Giga Pets will work after Y2K and what to do until the streetlights come on. Suddenly, they stumble upon a HUGE hopscotch board in the middle of their town, only in place of numbers there are Welsh words instead.
Their collaborative quest? Use their bodies to decode each word before they're called in for dinner. Dawns Dawns Dawns brings 90's nostalgia wrapped in a huge hopscotch board and high energy dance moves that will excite and captivate you!
This show is part of a Four Nations Bursary Programme supporting artists to create new outdoor work.
CARDS ON THE TABLE by Erin Hughes
Roaming performers present intimate magic on beautifully crafted wearable tables.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Walkabout |
| 2:00–2:45pm & 4:15–5:00pm |
Roaming performers transform into living card tables, inviting audiences into intimate, surprising encounters. Inspired by the shared language of magic and intricate tabletop design, each wearable surface becomes a miniature stage for sleight of hand, playful illusions, and visual delight.
Drawing on faux-marble and pietra dura aesthetics, the work combines craft, performance, and curiosity in equal measure. Audiences gather in small groups, experiencing moments of wonder up close before the performers drift on, leaving traces of astonishment behind.
This show is part of a Four Nations Bursary Programme supporting artists to create new outdoor work.
TANDOORI TUNES by Punjabi Roots
Interactive, Indian street food musical with roaming performers & flavourful fun.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Walkabout |
| 1:30–2:00pm & 3:00–3:30pm |
Tandoori Tunes is a vibrant, interactive musical experience inspired by the energy of Indian street food. Our roaming performers will bring the festival to life, inviting audiences to "order" from a playful menu, transforming each choice into a unique musical performance.
Blending live Dhol drumming and Melodies with an Indian twist, each act is delivered in short, high-impact bursts. Bright costumes, infectious rhythms, create a lively, immersive atmosphere. Tunes delivers a colourful fusion of music, culture, and street food spirit that surprises and delights audiences of all ages.
This show is part of a Four Nations Bursary Programme supporting artists to create new outdoor work.
TOXIC DARLING by Delululand
Magical trash-cocoon gifting wishes to those who dream beyond themselves.
| SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY |
| Candleriggs |
| 2:00–3:00pm & 4:30–5:30pm |
"...And where magic flowers once bloomed grew a pile of crap, It grew and stretched collecting all the city folks' scrap. The noxious trash took on a life of its own. At first people shrieked, it scared them to the bone. But the mass was so gentle, magic inside did remain. They say a wish may still be granted, but not for personal gain. We call her Toxic Darling, care to make a wish inside her cocoon? Think beyond the self and far away to the moon"
Toxic Darling is an interactive performance/installation exploring the tensions between organic wilderness and contemporary gluttony, using wishful thinking and imagined transformation as its driving force.
This show is part of a Four Nations Bursary Programme supporting artists to create new outdoor work.
MULTIFACETED by Articulation
Exploring the evolution of multidisciplinary outdoor arts practice. Articulation presents an industry afternoon with pitches, performance, and networking.
| FRIDAY 24th JULY |
| City Halls, Glasgow, G1 1NQ |
| 12pm - 4pm (4 hours) |
Join Articulation for MULTIFACETED, a dynamic industry afternoon exploring how multidisciplinary practice challenges traditional categorisation and impacts artform recognition in Scotland.
After a networking lunch, Katy Fuller (Director of Pinwheel) will share opening insights, leading into a panel discussion with artists, producers, and festival directors who work nationally and internationally.
Together, they’ll examine how boundary-breaking work informs contemporary curation. A Lightning Pitch session will celebrate the cutting edge of our sector, before we conclude outside with a performance of Mark Bleakley’s Dance Makes the Floor. Connect with peers, spark collaborations, and help champion the future of outdoor arts in Scotland.
To book your place (£5 or free for Articulation members) use the booking button below:
Surge Festival Site 2026
