A PERFORMANCE of synchronised swimming featuring Turner Prize nominee Janice Kerbel will form part of an eclectic cultural programme for next year’s European Championships in Glasgow.

The city is hosting the biggest sporting event to take place in Scotland since the Commonwealth Games from August 2 to 12 August 2018.

Festival 2018 will run alongside the sporting action, offering cultural experience to residents and the thousands of athletes, visitors and media who will be in Scotland for the inaugural event.

The programme will feature dance, film, music, visual art, theatre and literature by 34 artists and performers aged from 10 to 87.

George Square will be the beating heart of Festival 2018 and the images, atmosphere and performances captured have the potential to reach a potential TV audience of up to 1.03 billion people.

The line-up includes acclaimed percussionist Colin Currie working with Children’s Classic Concerts, outdoor performances such as Mischief La Bas and a pop up opera tour from Scottish Opera for families.

The sporting action will be across 12 venues including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, said: “Glasgow 2018 will bring the best of Europe’s athletes to Glasgow and Scotland and Festival 2018 will bring everyone – visitors and residents together – in a one large-scale celebration of our culture and famous warm welcome.”

Depute Council Leader Cllr David McDonald said: “Co-hosting the inaugural European Championships with Berlin will yet again shine a light on the city to European and international audiences and the scale, ambition and innovation behind each of the Festival Fund projects shows us just why world class arts and cultural activity is at home in Scotland.”