How to get to our comedy club: parking, trains & taxis for Merchant City
You’ve booked the tickets, and now, you’re ready for a night of top-tier stand-up at Stuart Mitchell’s Comedy Club. But for those driving into Merchant City, you’ll probably want to plan where to park the car.
Don’t leave it until the night of – parking in Merchant City can be a bit of a puzzle if you don’t know what your options are. To save you the research, we’ve ranked the best choices by priority.
Best parking for Merchant City (ranked by priority)
The best parking in Merchant City depends on your preference: proximity or price? You can take a chance with on-street parking, or you can book a spot in a multi-storey just 10 minutes away.
1. Q-Park Candleriggs (closest)
Q-Park Candleriggs (37 Albion Street, G1 1LH) is the closest big, purpose-built car park to Stuart Mitchell’s Comedy Club at 36 Bell Street (G1 1LG): it’s actually next door, just a 1-minute walk away.
Q-Park specifically highlights Candleriggs as having some of Scotland’s widest parking spaces (a miracle in the city centre). It’s also a great confidence booster if you’re a cautious driver or someone who finds parking stressful.
As well as having wider spaces (unlike some of the older, tighter multi-storeys in Glasgow), Q-Park is well-lit, easy to navigate, and reviewers generally consider it secure.
The convenience of being right on the doorstep of our comedy club comes at a premium: compared with on-street bays, you might find yourself paying more for Merchant City parking.
Our tip? Book online in advance through the Q-Park website! Pre-booking often secures you a better rate, and you’re guaranteed a space for the show.
2. NCP King Street (most convenient)
Looking for a reliable backup? Balance cost and location with NCP King Street – this massive multi-storey car park is located a short 5-minute walk from the venue.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like the ‘will I won’t I’ anxiety of on-the-night parking, you’re almost always guaranteed a spot at NCP King Street. It has a massive capacity of 600 spaces (with four specifically designed for disabled users).
Cost-wise, this car park is in the mid-range: it’s generally cheaper than Q-Park at Candleriggs and offers more security than on-street parking.
The site also has ANPR technology, so you’ll have several ways to pay if you’re deciding on the day.
3. City Parking (Duke Street) (cheapest)
Trade savings for extra steps with City Parking on Duke Street.
It’s not the closest to our Bell Street venue, but that’s the point: when you get a noticeably better-value stay, Duke Street’s capped rates are much friendlier to your bank balance.
The overnight flat rate (which kicks in after 6pm) is a bargain compared to the hourly ticking clock of other city centre locations. It’s the smart move if you plan to attend one of our later shows and head out afterwards.
We think this option is perfect for groups who don’t mind stretching their legs to save the parking fare for something more important – like an extra round of drinks at the bar or a pre-show burger upstairs.
4. Street parking & apps
Street parking right outside the club is possible, but it’s very much a first-come first-serve system.
Bell Street is in Glasgow City Council’s on-street parking controls, and current listings show that it’s chargeable all week from 8:00am–6:00pm, with a maximum stay of 2 hours and a no-return window afterwards.
So, it’s handy for a short visit, but it’s not the one to depend on for a busy show night. If you do manage to grab on-street parking in Merchant City, the easiest way to pay without hunting for a machine is with apps like RingGo and JustPark.
With RingGo, you just enter the location code from the street sign (Bell Street’s code is shown on RingGo as 20103), pay by app, web, text, or phone, and then top up if you’re allowed to extend.
JustPark is useful when you’d rather skip the street-parking lottery. They lean heavily on pre-booking, which includes everything from car parks to private driveways and rented spaces.
Arriving by train
Considering leaving the car entirely?
Arriving by train is easily the most stress-free way to park in Merchant City. There’s no worrying about pay-and-display cut-offs, no dreading the drive home afterwards: you can step straight off the platform and head straight to Merchant City.
Argyle Street Station
This station is on the low-level line, and it’s easily the closest stop to the venue. With the exit located just a two-minute walk from our front door, it’s basically door-to-door service.
Glasgow Queen Street
Are you coming from further afield via the main terminals? You’re still within easy walking distance of our comedy club. From here, you’re looking at a (roughly) 10-minute walk through the city centre to Merchant City.
Glasgow Central
If you’re arriving at Glasgow Central, you have two options. Take the ten to fifteen-minute walk through Glasgow, or cheat the distance by jumping on the low-level train from Central straight to Argyle Street: a 1-minute journey.
Sorted your travel? Now sort your tickets!
Merchant City parking gets busy, and the same goes for show nights in the basement at Blackfriars. The easiest way to keep your night running smoothly is by figuring out travel and tickets in advance.
Browse our upcoming events, where you can see what’s on, what times doors open, and what shows still have availability. We have an incredible roster of comedians who are ready to make you laugh, so be sure to grab your tickets before they sell out.
