By Stuart Mitchell

Glasgow will begin a year long celebration to mark it’s 850^th birthday in 2025, and everyone who calls the city home, is invited to the party.

With the festivities kicking off at the start of the year, the St. Mungo Festival, and Celtic Connections event in January will mark the arrival of the birthday bash.

VisitScotland describes Glasgow as the home of world class museums, and the friendly locals irreverent sense of humour. So we at UWS Newsroom asked the people of Glasgow, what makes the city special to them?

“My favourite thing about Glasgow is the shopping. I love going to Buchanan Street for a day out.”

For others, the sport that the city has to offer is a standout: “It’s home to two big football teams, Celtic and Rangers, but also the Scotland National Team, so that makes Glasgow special to me.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Glasgow 850 is a big milestone in our city’s journey. I’m looking forward to next year when we can come together through the variety of special events to honour our history, culture, spirit and people.”

Signature activities have been lined up including a three-day music extravaganza, a People’s Palace pop-up exhibition and Taste the Place food trail, which establish an exciting setup.

In April, Taste the Place, in partnership with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, allows visitors to sample city hospitality and the influence new flavours have brought to the area and take locals on a cusine heritage journey.

Eddie Kim, owner of Gomo Kimchi and Deli said: “I came to Glasgow for love, with a fervent desire to forge my own narritive, but also to be in conversation with my Korean family’s immigrant story. I look forward to being part of the celebrations and sharing my food, and my story.”

As always, the River Clyde will be central to the celebrations, and in honour of the city’s status as UNESCO City of Music in 2008, the Clyde Chorus will see a number of venues along the river banks, with a variety of classical, contemporary, pop, rock and much more over a three day period in May.

A new Glasgow 850 Festival Fund is supporting the events to enhance the reach of the planned programmes in local areas, with the aim of highlighting the incredible talent Glasgow has to offer.

It’s well known that ‘People Make Glasgow’ and a volunteer and employability programme is set to be launched in October to encourage the life of the city to get involved and enhance their festival experience.