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Article published 20/09/2024

The 10th anniversary of Paisley Halloween Festival will see the return of the much-loved parade through the town centre, plus some exciting event changes.

The festival is expected to bring thousands of people to Paisley. It will take place on Friday 25 October from 4pm-9pm and Saturday 26 October from 2pm-9pm.

The event is delivered by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with performance specialists, Cirque Bijou. The lighting is designed by Grant Anderson. The festival is supported by EventScotland's National Events Funding Programme.

The Paisley Halloween parade

The centrepiece of the event, a spectacular, 300-strong parade will wind through the centre of the town each night starting at 7pm. It will feature professional performers and festival favourites, including PyroCeltica, Spark! LED Drummers, and community groups from the local area.

There will be more places to watch the spooky sights, with the new town centre route taking in Mill Street for the first time, including:

  • a ghostly pirate ship
  • glowing jellyfish
  • towering puppets
  • bubble-blowing witches
  • cowboy zombies
  • stilt-walking trees 

Other festival events

There is plenty of daytime entertainment to enjoy from 4pm on Friday and 2pm on Saturday. Live performances will take place on a stage at Bridge Street and at County Square. There will also be eerie lighting displays on some of the town’s most iconic buildings.

This year, the popular funfair will be located at the Lagoon Car Park and East End Park. It'll offer plenty of opportunities to keep the children entertained in the build up to the parade.

Paisley Central Library on the High Street will be running Halloween arts and crafts sessions. The Art Department will have free spooky lantern making workshops. There will also be marshmallow pits and a devilish selection of street food options.

It wouldn’t be Halloween without surprise installations dotted all around town to help create that spooky atmosphere. Look out for the Flaming Gargoyle, the Ghost Ship, Giant Witch and bubbling cauldron to name a few.

In addition to the programme of activity taking place across the town centre local businesses and partners in Paisley are also putting on Halloween-inspired activities for visitors.

Find out more on paisley.is

 

Drummers at Paisley Halloween 2023

Drummers at Paisley Halloween 2023. Credit: Paisley is

Ticketed grandstand seats

The event is free to attend, with many great spots across the town centre to view the parade.

New this year will be a small number of ticketed grandstand seats available. These offer a fantastic view of the parade on Cotton Street in the town centre.

Tickets are on sale and are priced at £15 per person. There are only a small number of tickets available to purchase for each night.

What better way to celebrate 10 years of the festival than to see the triumphant return of the much-loved parade.

Paisley Halloween Festival is one of the most popular events in our calendar.

It offers a great experience for visitors and local people to get involved and also brings a significant economic boost to the area.

Pauline Allan, Events Manager, Renfrewshire Council

We are proud to support Paisley Halloween Festival on its landmark 10th anniversary.

Each year, tens of thousands of people visit this spectacular and it's fantastic to hear that the parade will make a welcomed return.

Community collaboration is very much at the core of this iconic festival.

Rebecca Edser, Head of EventScotland

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