PIPER Finlay Johnston tunes up just a week before the biggest piping festival in the world moves back to George Square after a two year break.

PipingLive! which runs from August 10 to 14 will feature more than 200 free and ticketed events across the city.

The heart of the city will host a massive welcome home party for the festival as it returns to George Square after spending 2013 in St Enoch Square and 2014 in Candleriggs, due to the Commonwealth Games.

The square will be buzzing with daily performances by some of the best pipe bands from across the globe including New Zealand Police Pipe Band, Toronto Police Pipe Band, Mοliφοniα from Italy, Shri Dashmesh Malaysian Sikh Pipe Band and Lemania Pipe Band from Switzerland.

The week long celebration will build up to the World Pipe Band Championships which take place on Glasgow Green on August 14 and 15.

Tickets available now via www.pipinglive.co.uk

The square will be buzzing with activity from 10-14 August with daily performances by some of the best pipe bands from across the globe – including New Zealand Police Pipe Band, Toronto Police Pipe Band, Mοliφοniα from Italy, Shri Dashmesh Malaysian Sikh Pipe Band and Lemania Pipe Band from Switzerland.

Says Roddy MacLeod, Director of Piping Live! “We could not be more pleased to be moving back to our traditional location of George Square, it really is the heart of the city and we can’t wait to showcase this to our visitors. There is no better base to celebrate different sounds and disciplines from within the piping world, alongside the best of our Scottish Highland Bagpipes.”

The festival will also celebrate Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink with a new ‘Pipers Market’ in George Square, showcasing the very best of fresh, local, Scottish produce. Supported by the Community Food Fund, the marquee will be open from 11am every day. The market will also include the Piping Live! Information stand and shop.

Piping Live! is famed for its diverse evening concerts across a range of city venues celebrating the diversity of the pipes. This year’s highlights include The Masters Solo Competition (Monday 10th, National Piping Centre), International Quartets Competition (Tuesday 11th, Royal Concert Hall) which sees seven top grade pipe bands from across the globe send 4 of their pipers to compete, Lowland and Border Pipers society showcase (Wednesday 12th National Piping Centre), International Piping Duets (Thursday 13th, Art school) featuring Bellón Maceiras Duo and Finlay MacDonald & Chris Stout, Friday night folk (Friday 14th, Art school) featuring some of the most exciting, modern collaborations on the folk/piping scene including the Scott Wood Band and Armagh Pipers Club, After World’s shindig (Saturday 15th, Art school) with Flook and Fred Morrison and the 40 years of piping from the Tannahill Weavers concert (Sunday 16th, National Piping Centre) will finish off the week in spectacular fashion.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “As the world’s biggest piping festival, Piping Live! makes a very welcome return to Scotland’s events calendar in 2015 and is sure to have a fantastic impact on host city Glasgow as it moves back to George Square. We have seen a significant number of visitors from overseas take part in this fitting celebration of Scottish cultural heritage. With over 200 events taking place and performances from an array of piping talent from across the world, Piping Live! will showcase Scotland as the perfect stage for events to a global audience”

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.pipinglive.co.uk or call The National Piping Centre on 0141 353 0220

For more information contact Wire Media

Victoria Irvine | victoria@wire-media.co.uk | 0141 440 6761 | 07951 365 636

Kirsty Atkinson | kirsty@wire-media.co.uk | 0141 440 6761 | 07736 281 684

EventScotland: EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews. EventScotland is a team in the VisitScotland Events Directorate - the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland.

The Year of Food and Drink: The Year of Food and Drink Scotland will start on 1 January 2015 and end on 31 December 2015. 2015 will build on the momentum generated by Homecoming Scotland 2014 by celebrating the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success. Through a series of exciting events and activities, the year will showcase Scotland’s outstanding natural larder and our reputation as a Land of Food and Drink.

The Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015 is a Scottish Government initiative being delivered by VisitScotland and EventScotland in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Agricultural College and Young Scot.

For more information visit www.VisitScotland.com/TasteScotland