Tenants of Trongate 103, one of Glasgow’s most prominent arts venues, fear eviction after being told to sign a new lease agreement with rent increases of up to four times their current level.
The affected organisations include Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre, Glasgow Print Studio, Streetlevel Photoworks and Glasgow Media Access Centre (GMAC). They received notice on 27 February with less than 28 days to sign or face removal from a building they have occupied for 17 years.
Rent Increase Described as Devastating
The building is owned by City Property Glasgow (Investments) LLP, a council owned body. Tenants say they were originally promised a 25 year lease but have instead been operating on month to month agreements.
Mark Langdon, GMAC chairperson, said the organisations “cannot cover a commercial return for a building like Trongate 103, nor do we think we should have to.” He warned the move would have a “devastating” impact and said the venues were part of “the cultural heart of Glasgow” and should be “valued much more highly than that.”
The threat comes after CCA, another major Glasgow arts venue on Sauchiehall Street, permanently closed in January 2026 after 33 years, raising concerns about the future of the city’s cultural infrastructure.