Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

The Pavilion Theatre is a variety theatre on Renfield Street in the centre of Glasgow, open since 1904. It is best known as a home for pantomime, comedy, music and traditional variety nights, and it is one of the few old-style theatres of its kind still running in the city.

The story behind it

The Pavilion opened in 1904, in the years when Glasgow's city centre was filling with music halls and variety houses. These were places where a single evening might bring together singers, comedians, dancers and novelty acts. Many of Glasgow's theatres of that period have since been demolished, converted or closed, which makes a working one on Renfield Street worth noticing.

Over the decades the Pavilion has kept to its roots in popular entertainment. It is associated with the Scottish tradition of the Christmas pantomime, with stand-up and with tribute and music shows, and it has long had a reputation as a friendly, down-to-earth night out rather than a grand opera house.

What to look for

• The theatre frontage on Renfield Street, where posters and signage show what is on and give a quick sense of the kind of show the Pavilion is known for.
• The contrast between this traditional theatre and the modern shopfronts and offices around it, a reminder of how much of Glasgow's older entertainment district has changed.
• The grid of busy streets nearby, where Victorian and Edwardian stonework appears above ground-floor shops if you look up past the signs.
• The pedestrian stretch of Sauchiehall Street close by, once the heart of Glasgow's theatre and cinema life.

Tips for your visit

• You can see the outside at any time in a few minutes, but to go inside you need a ticket for a show, so check current listings and opening hours before you plan.
• Daytime is best for photographing the frontage and looking at the buildings above street level, while early evening gives you the atmosphere of a show night arriving.
• The theatre is a short walk from Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and the main shopping area, so it fits easily into a wider city-centre stroll.
• Renfield Street is busy with traffic and pedestrians, so take photos from the pavement edge near crossings and keep an eye on the crowds.

Explore it on a quest

The streets around the Pavilion Theatre are full of detail that is easy to walk past. Questo's self-guided quests turn a city-centre walk into a game: the app leads you from place to place, tells you about each one as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. Browse the quests in Glasgow and start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.