The council advert stated Glasgow was “building a new approach to winter events in the city” after a strategic review.<\/p>\n
Long-term plans for the city’s festive decorations will “evolve in the coming months”, it added.<\/p>\n
A set fee will be payable to the council for the rights to provide the hubs for each year of the contract.<\/p>\n
Officials say the council will receive “significant revenue income”, but they are not reporting the value due to the “commercial sensitivity of the information”.<\/p>\n
In a report to councillors, who will consider the recommendation at a meeting on Thursday, officials state that following the review, the council is “moving away from that of a traditional Christmas market delivered previously to a festive winter hubs approach”.<\/p>\n
It claims the new vision will provide “a more coherent approach to winter, bringing together commercial, civic and community events under a single umbrella to attract visitors, engage citizens and support city centre vibrancy”.<\/p>\n
The new offering will have broad appeal and be firmly family-focused, according to the report.<\/p>\n
The contract is set to run from October 2025 to January 2027. There were 16 expressions of interest and four companies submitted bids.<\/p>\n
The city traditionally held a ticketed Christmas lights switch-on in George Square, usually followed by a fairground, ice rink and market stalls being present during the festive period.<\/p>\n