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People's Palace revamp gets £14m government boost

Glasgow Life The People’s Palace building, a historic museum made with red bricks, on a sunny day.Glasgow Life
The People’s Palace was originally scheduled to reopen in 2027

Long-running efforts to reopen one of Glasgow's most famous museums have received a welcome boost.

The People's Palace closed in April 2024 for a £36m upgrade and the attached Winter Gardens, a large glass conservatory, has been closed since 2019.

It had been hoped the attraction would be back in public use by 2027, but earlier this year the project was delayed indefinitely.

The Scottish government has now announced up to £14m to support the rising refurbishment costs.

An image of the main staircase - an impressive wooden construction with fancy ironwork. The words "Welcome to the People's Palace" arch over the stairs in a light gold.
Glasgow Life opened the doors of the People's Palace to show what work had been done.

Glasgow Life, the charity that runs the city's cultural attractions, said at the start of the year that timelines - as well as cost estimates for the work - were "continuing to evolve" for the Category A listed building which sits on Glasgow Green.

The refurbishment was announced two years ago, with funding from various sources including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Glasgow City Council.

No Scottish government cash was earmarked for the project at the time and in January, Billy Garrett, the director of culture, tourism and events at Glasgow Life, told a Holyrood committee his organisation was "disappointed" to see there was no government funding for the People's Palace.

A large diagram of the People's Palace interior sits on an easel. Each area of the museum is depicted in a different muted colour with a description of what that area will be, including Work and industry, Sport, leisure and play, Culture and nightlife.
Glasgow Life have been showing their plans for the refurbished building

This latest investment is in addition to £19.5m of funding contributions from Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with further funding opportunities continuing to be explored to ensure the full refurbishment of the site.

It is hoped the revamp will support jobs and footfall in Glasgow's east end and safeguard historic collections and artefacts that tell Glasgow's story, as well as preserving the attached Winter Gardens for community use.

Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan said People's Palace was a "cherished part" of Glasgow's history and she looked forward to seeing the refurbishment plans progress.

PA Media Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan, a young woman with red hair, smiles for the camera as she walks into Bute House, the Edinburgh Residence of the first minister. She wears a white blazer and carries a dark brown leather tote bagPA Media
Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan confirmed the conditional funding for the People's Palace

She said: "I am pleased to confirm that the Scottish government has announced up to £14m in conditional support to the refurbishment of the People's Palace and secure its reopening to the public.

"This is about far more than bricks and mortar. The People's Palace has welcomed generations of Glaswegians as well as visitors from further afield, and this investment will ensure they can continue to enjoy it for decades to come."

The conditional support remains subject to a final business case being submitted by Glasgow Life, funding conditions being met in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and assessment to ensure compliance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

An image of a huge class house in daylight, clearly in the midst of construction work - with red barriers separating the floor area, and netting stretched across the ceiling under the glass panes.
Work also continues on the Winter Gardens, which will become a community green space

The council's culture convener and chair of Glasgow Life, Bailie Annette Christie said the landmark was undergoing a "once-in-a-generation transformation".

She added: "It's a complex and ambitious project that has been co-created with the people of Glasgow and will secure the long-term future of one of the city's most treasured and nationally important cultural spaces.

"We are grateful to the Scottish government for this welcome investment, which is a significant vote of confidence in our plans and brings us an important step closer to creating an inclusive, accessible and world-class social history museum and visitor destination in the city's east end.

"Glasgow has a strong track record of delivering major cultural and heritage developments, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish government and wider partners to deliver a revitalised People's Palace and Winter Gardens."