The Piping Live! Big Band will return for its 9th showcase at this year’s festival. Pipers of all ages and abilities are invited to take part. In 2026, the Big Band will parade from Mansefield Park in Partick to the concourse at the iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It will step off on this 0.5mile route at 12noon, arriving at the museum around 12.20pm.

The Piping Live! Big Band is a mass participation event that opens our festival. 200 pipers will gather, ranging from young learners playing their chanters, to seasoned professionals playing the pipes in their retirement.

The Big Band will walk the streets of Glasgow performing a repertoire of tunes that everyone can play. The Piping Live! Big Band is open to anyone who plays a practice chanter, bagpipes, snare, bass or tenor drum, or is a drum major! All ages are welcome. Past events welcomed musicians aged 8-86.

Charity Partner: My Name'5 Doddie Foundation

We are delighted to be supporting My Name'5 Doddie Foundation as the charity partner for this year's Big Band. Founded by Doddie Weir, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation have a clear vision: a world free of MND. They fund the smartest, most efficient MND research. They back bold ideas and bring together the best minds from across the globe. Their goal is simple: faster routes to effective treatments. Because when you're living with MND, time matters. 

To officially kick off the event this year, Big Band Pipe Major Dr Bova was joined today by international rugby player – and learner piper – Rhona Lloyd to launch the Big Band in support of the Foundation, by playing a tune together. Watch the Video here!

Working with the Foundation, we are bringing music and the tartan that Doddie wore so well to Glasgow, highlighting the need to fund the smartest, most efficient MND research, that’s why this year’s charity partnership is so important to us.

If you would like to make a donation straight to the charity, or fundraise beyond your registration fee, you can make the donation through this link, and it will all count towards to total raised by the Piping Live! Big Band!
Donate Here

Register for this year's Big Band

You can now register at the link below with registration £15 per person. This registration fee provides your Big Band T-shirt and the rest goes as a donation to My Name'5 Doddie Foundation. Once you register, we will send you a Welcome Pack and the music for the bands, so you can get practising! 

Welcome packs are only sent out during office hours (UK time), so if you register on an evening or weekend, we will get it to you as soon as possible during the following week. 

If you are a group of more than 5 that would like to register as one, please email contact@pipinglive.co.uk and we can facilitate a group registration. 

REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN HERE 

CLOSING DATE: Friday 17th July at 5pm. No registrations can be taken after this time. 

Big Band Stewards
To help make sure the Piping Live! Big Band all happens without a hitch, we are looking for stewards to help marshal at the parade. You don’t need any prior experience, and will be given a hi-vis vest and on the day instructions. You will march with the parade, making sure our participants stay safe while playing.
 
If you would like to be a Big Band Steward, please email contact@pipinglive.co.uk