Venue Guide: SWG3

A stone’s throw from Finnieston, and just a short stroll down Eastvale Place, you’ll find the striking railway arches of SWG3. . .

…a studio warehouse and multi-disciplinary arts/gig venue. From its industrial roots, SWG3 has grown over the past 15 years into a cultural hub – the go-to place for artists, photographers, and music-lovers alike. But it really upped its events game between 2013 and 2015, becoming one of Glasgow’s most flexible hire spaces. It’s an event prof’s dream, basically.

Need to know. . .

• You’ll find SWG3 on 100 Eastvale Place, Glasgow G3 8QG in parallel to Finnieston, just north of the River Clyde.
• There’s an impressively diverse range of spaces for hire – from intimate studios, to a vast 25,000 sq.ft. outdoor area.
• Capacity ranges from 129 in the smallest space (Poetry Club) to 4,000 in the largest (Galvanizer’s Yard) – so there’s a fit for every crowd.
• There’s no dedicated parking at SWG3, but there is metered parking on Eastvale Place and nearby Kelvinhaugh Street – with no charges on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Plus, Partick and Exhibition Centre are your nearest subway and train stations (just a 10-minute walk).
• For food & drink, you’ve got the uber-trendy Acid Bar (now a permanent resident, after starting life as a pop-up), which overlooks the eye-catching graffiti in the yard. Pop by for coffee & breakfast rolls, a lunch menu – including Glasgow’s famous Tantrum Doughnuts – plus wine and other refreshments.

Nice to know. . .

Though initially earmarked as a potential residential development, venue founder Andrew Fleming-Brown acquired the SWG3 site to maintain its industrial DNA whilst creating a close-knit community for creatives. On the heritage of the site, he said:

“Glasgow is steeped in industrial history and we are very proud of it, and especially with us being down by the river we absolutely are out to retain that heritage. It’s something you can’t buy or replicate. I’m glad we agreed to do that with this building, rather than see it turn into a block of flats.”

Us too, Andrew! Glasgow’s events scene is much richer for it.

We recommend. . .

SWG3 will suit pretty much any type of event. And we mean that literally. From intimate gigs and big festivals, to product launches and exhibitions, and even conferences & black-tie corporate dinners – SWG3 is the jack-of-all-events. That’s the beauty of a warehouse-style venue; it’s a blank canvas and you can do whatever you want with it.

In our book, there’s nothing more rewarding than taking on a relatively empty space and crafting an event from the ground up. An opportunity to make your mark and let your creativity run wild.

So SWG3, we salute you.

Tackling a blank canvas venue and need back-up? You know where to find us.