Glasgow, sport and the Commonwealth

Glasgow Green is the oldest public park in the city, and has for centuries been where the people of Glasgow have come to protest and argue, to dry their washing, to play football or to stroll by the banks of the Clyde.

Join us on this special tour running May-August for the duration of the 2026 Commonwealth Games Festival to walk though Glasgow Green and take a critical look at the city's relationship to the Commonwealth and its history as a hotbed of radical sporting traditions.

Probably the only tour in the world on which you will hear the stories of anticolonial boxers, champion cyclists, anarchist agitators, Glasgow's history as Second City of Empire, swimming in the Clyde, community football and much more.

The tour also includes a visit to one of Glasgow's weirdest bits of public art (there are some strong contenders), a bizarre modern megalith taking the form of a spiral through time...

Free and open to all, all tours will be BSL interpreted.

Time and distance: Meet at the McLennan Arch, Glasgow Green. The walk is a circular route lasting approximately 2 hours, the distance is just under 2 miles.

Accessibility: This route is on paved paths and pavements. There are no opportunities for seated stops along the majority of this route.

If you would like to see a detailed map of the route, or if there is any further information that would be helpful for access please email us: radicalglasgowtours at gmail.com.

This tour has been made possible thanks to the support of Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council, sportscotland and Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026.

All images c/o Wikimedia Commons

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