Legacies of the year long event can still be seen today. The Royal Concert Hall was built and there were free concerts, plays and art exhibitions. International stars were drawn to perform in the city in 1990, from Pavarotti – who had 12,000 fans at the SECC – to Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones. Here we take a look back at that year.
5. Glasgow City of Culture 1990
Playwright and poet Liz Lochhead and director Gerry Mulgrew, whose play 'Jock Tamson's Bairns' was one of the first events of Glasgow European City of Culture 1990. Photo: TSPL
6. Glasgow City of Culture 1990
Th U sign for Strathclyde Transport's underground station in Glasgow, August 1990 Photo: Allan Milligan
7. Glasgow City of Culture 1990
Two men chatting in a Strathclyde Transport underground station in Glasgow, August 1990. Photo: Allan Milligan
8. Glasgow City of Culture 1990
Women walk past a busker in Glasgow, August 1990. Photo: Allan Milligan