Glasgow Barras Market

Summary

Glasgow’s east-end weekend market — a Victorian iron-framed market hall and surrounding covered stalls in the Gallowgate, with a working-class commercial character and the Barrowland Ballroom at the corner.

About this location

The Barras (officially the Barrowland Market) occupies a block of the Gallowgate in Glasgow’s east end, adjacent to the Barrowland Ballroom. The market has operated on this site since the 1920s — originally a series of covered rows in the streets, the current structure combines several enclosed market halls (iron-framed Victorian buildings) with covered external stall areas. The market trades principally on Saturdays and Sundays with general goods, clothing, and a historically heavy second-hand and antique trade.

The Barrowland Ballroom at the corner of Gallowgate and London Road is a 1934 dance hall with a distinctive neon-lit facade and a 1,900-capacity ballroom interior. Both the market and the ballroom are in continuous use and together give the east-end Glasgow commercial character.

For productions, the Barras gives a Scottish working-class market environment — different in character from both the gentrified London markets and the tourist markets of central Edinburgh. The combination of the market hall interiors, the covered stalls, and the Barrowland facade gives several distinct set options within a single block. Glasgow City Council handles filming permits for the public streets.