Halloween Festival returns to Paisley with first live shows in three years

The free event is expected to be attended by thousands and will showcase spooky illustrations and talented street performers. 

This year not only marks the post-pandemic return to live shows but also the theme of heroes, myths and legends.

The festival takes place from Thursday, October 27 to Saturday, October 29 between 6 and 9pm each night.

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It is located in Paisley around Abbey Close, Bridge Street, Gauze Street and Paisley Cross. 

Louisa Mahon, Renfrewshire Council’s head of marketing, communications and events said: “We are thrilled to today announce the programme for the Paisley Halloween Festival, which has become a frequent feature on Scottish and UK lists of must-see Halloween events. 

“It’s free to attend and offers something for all the family – so we look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of visitors over the three evenings, which will boost local traders, who we will be working with to help promote everything the town has to offer."

Visitors can expect a giant dramatic interactive walk-through fire garden, a fire-breathing dragon, illuminated digital face puppets, a superhero rooftop battle, and a spooky spider's lair.

Performances include Scotland’s leading aerial dance company All or Nothing, Spark! LED drummers and the flame-throwing PyroCeltica.

The event is supported by Future Paisley, a council-led programme which uses the town’s unique cultural and heritage story to transform its future. 

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Louisa added: “The programme includes fresh takes on the unique large-scale installations which were so popular last year, but - for the first time since before the pandemic – reintroduces the live performance element for which the festival had become known in previous years. 

“A really important part of the festival is in providing a stage to showcase the considerable talents of our local creative community – who will spend the next two months working with and being inspired by some of the best artists and performers in Scotland. 

“That supports the wider work we are doing through Future Paisley to help embed the benefits of being involved in culture and the arts across everything we do.”

Image from previous Halloween Festival

Halloween Festival will also include food and drink stalls, performances from Renfrewshire’s RockUs choir, superhero meet-and-greets, and children’s art workshops. 

Renfrewshire Council is delivering the event along with circus performance specialists Cirque Bijou, as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022, and is supported by EventScotland’s National Events Programme. 

Julian Bracey, artistic director of Cirque Bijou, said: “We are delighted to once again be working on Paisley Halloween Festival, which is a unique and exciting event regarded as one of the best of its kind in the UK. 

“Paisley town centre’s historic architecture is a fantastic canvas on which we’ve been able to create a dramatic visual spectacle, which will be brought to life by some hugely-talented performers.

"This is an event not to be missed and we can’t wait for people to see it.” 

Image from previous Halloween Festival

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the Paisley Halloween Festival through our National Events Programme in celebration of Year of Stories 2022. 

“This free event will bring economic and social benefits to the local community, as well as provide a platform for community groups, local and international artists to exhibit unique performances and installations.

"Events such as the Paisley Halloween Festival reaffirm Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events.”