‘Glasgow’s Christmas’: An incredible Houseguest Festival took over Sauchiehall Street

Written by Chloe Buckley

On the 5th April, held across four stages in three different venues, 29 different acts played to crowds of rowdy Glaswegians.

Heavyskint performing at Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow at Houseguest Festival

Houseguest Festival, run by SMC and Crowded Flat is a multi-venue day festival which showcases up and coming artists from around Scotland, and in 2026, acts from around the UK and Ireland.

2026 was the biggest year yet for Houseguest, with their first year in 2024 only hosting five bands. They have now upgraded to four stages across three venues and more than five times the amount of talent on the bill.

The venues included 1990, Nice N Sleazy and The Art School all situated on Sauchiehall Street. These venues are perfect for an event like Houseguest, intimate spaces with a DIY vibe.

In what was a perfect day of discovering new bands, here is my review of the bands I managed to catch on the day.

Dutch Wine

Dutch Wine performing in Nice N Sleazy at Houseguest Festival

Dutch Wine were the first band I saw on the day, setting the tone early on with an energetic set. The Scottish group were previously shortlisted for BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year in 2024, and it was easy to see why when they stepped onto the Nice’N’Sleazy stage.

Their sound leans into indie rock with punchy guitar and lyrics that were carried through the crowd. Tracks like ‘Brace’ and ‘Facelift’ were standouts from the set for their catchy hooks and slightly rough edges.

Despite not being too familiar with their music beforehand, their live performance made an immediate good impression. Overall, Dutch Wine delivered a strong and lively performance that made a memorable start to our day and are definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Croíthe

Croíthe at Nice N Sleazy

Croíthe travelled over from Dublin, Ireland to play at Houseguest, bringing with them a dark energy that immediately set them apart. If you’re a fan of Joy Division or Fontaines D.C, Croíthe are another band that feels at home in that lineage.

It was striking to watch the band transform as soon as they came on stage. There was something unsettling yet captivating about the stage presence of Caodán Connolly. You could tell how deeply he and the band connected with the music.

Their set featured the likes of ‘The Diver’, ‘Feed My Head’ and ‘The Lovers’, each one leaning into a heavy post-punk sound.

Even for those unfamiliar with the band, Croíthe made a lasting impression. Their performance felt raw and absorbing, making them a band to keep an eye on, especially on the current wave of Irish bands and post-punk acts.

heavyskint

heavyskint at Nice N Sleazy

Possibly the highlight of the day was heavyskint. Another Scottish act based in Glasgow, heavyskint is fronted by the charismatic Jacob Hunter. The group walked onto the stage downstairs in Nice’N’Sleazy with ‘Trinidad’ by Geese blaring from the speakers, a bold choice for their entrance that immediately set the tone for the next half hour.

The crowd was already hyped by their entrance alone, but they jumped straight into ‘When Are You Coming For Me Jesus?’ which a majority of the audience knew word for word. They went on to play some more unreleased tunes, all of which kept the energy high.

Hunter truly captivates the audience in his performance and makes it difficult for you to feel distracted from their music. Closing out their set with ‘Vice’ was a crazy moment. The end of the song saw the crowd go mental as Hunter threw himself into the pit for a crowd surf.

This was a set that will be hard to forget. The rest of the night was spent talking about how good their performance was. If you get the chance to, go and see heavyskint live. This is a band I am genuinely excited to follow for the next few years.

LeisureLand

LeisureLand performing in 1990 at Houseguest Festival

LeisureLand, yet another Scottish band, brought a burst of energy. The Paisley based band delivered a set full of vibrant indie energy. This was the kind of set that you had a smile plastered across your face the entire time. The momentum was at an all time high from the moment they walked on to ‘Are You Ready?’ with a WWE Championship in hand, to the end of the gig where everybody was off their feet.

Downstairs in 1990 was packed for this performance. LeisureLand played a mix of new and released songs for their audience and the crowd could not have been more into it. ‘Jamaica Street’ got the people moving, along with ‘Suzie’ which was a personal highlight.

Their set ran a little bit over, but there were no complaints from the crowd. They closed the set with ‘Waster’ which took the energy up another notch and proved to be another highlight of the day.

After spending the day at the festival, I have found a new appreciation for Scottish music. The Glasgow music scene is truly something special and the future of music is looking bright with these bands coming up through the ranks.