CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

Roll up, roll up for the largest fright fest yet!

Paisley Halloween Festival returns for its biggest year yet – and for the first time ever the entire town centre will be the stage!

Roll up, roll up for the largest fright fest yet!

Article Source: Renfrewshire Council
Last Updated: 30 August 2019 9:24

The Dark Circus rolls into Paisley on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October 2019 with internationally acclaimed outdoor theatre specialists, Cirque Bijou, helping to transform the town into the perfect Halloween playground.

The free two-day spectacular, one of the largest festivals of its kind in the UK which routinely attracts tens of thousands to the town, will cover everywhere from Bridge Street and County Square to the Coats Memorial Church and Shuttle Street, serving up creepy characters and frightening fun at every turn.

The main spectacle of the festival is the carnival-style Halloween Parade which takes place on the Saturday and will have an extended route for 2019. More than 300 costumed performers including local groups, voodoo acrobats, fire performers and curious creatures, jinxed jugglers and magnificent floats will be led through the town by the sinister Svengali ringmaster to thrilling live music, offering plenty of frights and delights along the way. Don’t miss the Dark Circus Stage on Gauze Street where the ringmaster will be conjuring up spectacular acts from his troupe of possessed performers.

The Saturday will see aerial artists, All or Nothing, perform their death-defying act ‘Into the Dark’ where professional artists will be joined by local performers who will circle and swirl around the haunted carousel suspended over the grounds of the town’s iconic Abbey. While international fire theatre company, PyroCeltica, will bring their unique performance to the Coats Memorial Church to delight the crowds.

New to the festival this year is the addition of the ticketed spooky silent disco. Held in Dunn Square in the heart of the town, the disco is sure to deliver plenty of dancing, singing and Halloween fun for all the family. DJs will play a range of floorfillers to the masses covering everything from Halloween favourites to the best of Indie disco, pop and dance classics – making sure everyone gets into the party mood.

The weekend will offer plenty of opportunities to join in the fun with a range of family-focussed Halloween-themed arts and crafts activities and workshops including pumpkin carving. Street theatre acts and walkabout performances will pop up around the town centre featuring the likes of the Spark LED Drummers and Mr Wilson’s Second Liners as well as acrobatic, high-wire walking and hula hoop artists.

There will also be scary movie screenings at Paisley Arts Centre, costume making with sustainable fashion experts Re:Mode, terrifying tales with Village Storytelling Centre and a Halloween Fun Fair.

Julian Bracey, Artistic Director at Cirque Bijou, said: “We are delighted to be working on this year’s Paisley Halloween Festival and to be involved in an event so strongly rooted in the town. We’ve been sourcing the best local talent and working closely with community groups from across Paisley who we’ll be putting centre stage in our Dark Circus parade alongside some of our fantastic professional performers.

“Cirque Bijou specialise in creating unforgettable and exquisitely crafted shows and Paisley Halloween Festival will be no different. We’ll be pulling every trick (and treat!) out of the bag to make this year the most spooktacular yet and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in store.”


Louisa Mahon, Head of Marketing, Communications and Events at Renfrewshire Council, said: “Paisley Halloween Festival is one of the most highly anticipated events in our calendar. Its stellar programme attracts thousands of visitors from across Scotland and beyond each year and is now regarded as one of the best events of its kind in the UK.

“The festival has grown larger each year and this year will see our most ambitious and creative production yet as the entire town will become a circus stage, for professional and community performers to enthral the crowds.

“Events like this are not just great for visitors but for the local economy. Last year’s event was worth more than £1.9m to the local economy as the festival hosted 34,000 people who enjoyed the fantastic parade and captivating performances. This year we aim to attract even more visitors to the town and encourage them to spend local.

“Paisley’s programme of major events has made the town one of Scotland’s key cultural destinations in recent years – and we look forward to building on that national platform with the support of our creative partners like EventScotland who continue to work with us to make this event as successful as possible.”


The Paisley Halloween Festival, which was supported in 2018 through the Year of Young People event fund, was awarded £16,950 of National Programme funding from Event Scotland for this year’s event.

To find out more about Paisley Halloween Festival and other events please visit www.paisley.is/halloween

Sponsored Links

Link
Renfrewshire Council
Paisley Town Hall Wedding Fayre
Paisley First
One Ren
St Columba's School

Latest Renfrewshire News

BTS fans take the spotlight in latest K Pop documentary heading to Vue

BTS fans take the spotlight in latest K Pop documentary heading to Vue

BTS Army: Forever We Are Young, a brand-new documentary celebrating the fans that helped catapult 21st century pop icons BTS into global stardom comes to Vue.

READ MORE
Jason Manford to play Paisley Town Hall as part of tour

Jason Manford to play Paisley Town Hall as part of tour

Comedian, actor, singer and presenter is latest big name to announce date at venue.

READ MORE
SAY Award opens submissions for eligible albums

SAY Award opens submissions for eligible albums

Scotland’s national music prize – the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award – has opened submissions for 2025’s £20,000 prize.

READ MORE
Set sail for Paisley and enjoy a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas!

Set sail for Paisley and enjoy a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas!

Ahoy there mateys! The Pirates of Paisley is this year's must visit FREE summer brick adventure!

READ MORE
Paisley Town Hall bells mark Imagination Library becoming permanent

Paisley Town Hall bells mark Imagination Library becoming permanent

Much loved reading programme, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Renfrewshire, celebrated becoming permanent with bell chimes.

READ MORE
Great value summer holiday activities at Dobbies Garden Centres

Great value summer holiday activities at Dobbies Garden Centres

This summer, gather the whole family and head to Dobbies Garden Centres for a day of fun-filled activities that will keep costs down.

READ MORE
Crowds celebrate the summer at Barshaw Gala Day

Crowds celebrate the summer at Barshaw Gala Day

Thousands turned out to celebrate summer at Barshaw Park on Saturday for Barshaw Gala Day.

READ MORE
FREE family festival at Loch Lomond Shores returns on 5th and 6th July

FREE family festival at Loch Lomond Shores returns on 5th and 6th July

Summerfest, the FREE family festival at Loch Lomond Shores, is back on the 5th and 6th of July with lots of things to see and do!

READ MORE
Grab your free reusable cup!

Grab your free reusable cup!

Fancy grabbing a free reusable takeaway cup and then getting a discount on your next drink from some of our local cafes?

READ MORE
Thorn Athletic and Inchinnan Development Trust to create brand new artificial pitches in Renfrewshire

Thorn Athletic and Inchinnan Development Trust to create brand new artificial pitches in Renfrewshire

Two major community sports projects in Renfrewshire are set to benefit from a significant funding boost.

READ MORE
Earlybird tickets drive buzz for 2026 Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show

Earlybird tickets drive buzz for 2026 Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show

The biggest show of its kind in Scotland returns with Earlybird tickets and a give-away with headline sponsor Border Caravans!

READ MORE
July events at Dobbies Garden Centres

July events at Dobbies Garden Centres

Check out July at Dobbies with it's Little Seedlings Club on rainforests and Grow How on pest control and healthy gardens!

READ MORE
Refurbished play park is a big success with local pupils

Refurbished play park is a big success with local pupils

Pupils from Auchenlodment Primary School in Johnstone gave their refurbished play park a big thumbs up after it underwent a major upgrade earlier this year.

READ MORE
Historic Environment Scotland calls for public stories for national wellbeing exhibition

Historic Environment Scotland calls for public stories for national wellbeing exhibition

Historic Environment Scotland is calling for people across the country to connect with heritage to boost their wellbeing as a part of a national campaign, Historic Places, Breathing Spaces.

READ MORE
Clan Wrestling returns to Braehead Arena with former WWE Champions

Clan Wrestling returns to Braehead Arena with former WWE Champions

After their first event in March, Clash of the Clans, Clan Wrestling makes its return to Braehead Arena on Saturday 6th September for its second event!

READ MORE
Renfrewshire invited to honour Armed Forces community

Renfrewshire invited to honour Armed Forces community

The Armed Forces Day flag will be raised outside Renfrewshire House on Friday in a short service to mark Armed Forces Day.

READ MORE
Works set to be undertaken to restore historic Kilbarchan Steeple buildings

Works set to be undertaken to restore historic Kilbarchan Steeple buildings

Councillors have agreed a £350,000 contract to carry out repairs to the historic Kilbarchan Steeple Buildings.

READ MORE
Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 adds two new categories and voting deadline extended!

Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 adds two new categories and voting deadline extended!

Scotland's hospitality industry and customers have spoken, and the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 has listened!

READ MORE
Young people to choose their winners as Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund voting opens

Young people to choose their winners as Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund voting opens

Voting has opened for this year's Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund as young people get the chance to vote for the projects they think will make the most difference in their communities.

READ MORE
Get set for summer at Barshaw Gala Day

Get set for summer at Barshaw Gala Day

Crowds are set to soak up the summer vibes at Barshaw Gala Day with an afternoon packed full of exciting activities for all the family!

READ MORE
25th year of Refugee Festival Scotland gets underway

25th year of Refugee Festival Scotland gets underway

Refugee Festival Scotland gets underway today, kick-starting nine days of dance performances, film screenings, visual art and photography exhibitions and community events across the country.

READ MORE
Exclusive Superman screening at Vue venues in Scotland

Exclusive Superman screening at Vue venues in Scotland

Tickets are on sale for an exclusive Superman screening at Vue venues in Scotland, with fans in for an extra special treat to take home.

READ MORE
XSite Braehead accelerates into summer with a major car event

XSite Braehead accelerates into summer with a major car event

On Saturday, 28th June, Chrome 'n' Classics will host its annual event in the XSite car park for the first time – showcasing over 200 classic, custom, American, and vintage cars!

READ MORE
Programme revealed for the 2025 Sma Shot Day celebrations

Programme revealed for the 2025 Sma Shot Day celebrations

Paisley town centre will host a day-long programme of entertainment this summer to celebrate Sma' Shot Day – one of the world's oldest worker's festivals.

READ MORE
Ready, Steady, Go! Paisley CarFest is back this weekend!

Ready, Steady, Go! Paisley CarFest is back this weekend!

Paisley's CarFest is returning to Paisley town centre this Saturday, 14th June, with a fun day out for all the family guaranteed!

READ MORE
Acclaimed debut Only Here, Only Now from Tom Newlands chosen as Waterstones Book of the Month in Scotland

Acclaimed debut Only Here, Only Now from Tom Newlands chosen as Waterstones Book of the Month in Scotland

The paperback edition of Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands has just been released - and is already making waves.

READ MORE
Star supporting Gary Barlow visits Kibble kids in Paisley for music session

Star supporting Gary Barlow visits Kibble kids in Paisley for music session

Rising music star and Channel 4's The Piano winner Brad Kella visited Kibble's Goudie Academy to meet with care-experienced young people, share his story and inspire the next generation of musicians.

READ MORE
Funding Boost for Charities at Scottish Building Society AGM

Funding Boost for Charities at Scottish Building Society AGM

Scottish Building Society marked its Annual General Meeting (AGM) by announcing funding to support eight local charities and good causes across the country.

READ MORE
Classic car enthusiasts set to visit Loch Lomond Shores

Classic car enthusiasts set to visit Loch Lomond Shores

Visitors are invited to come along and get up-close to some amazing cars, set against the beautiful backdrop of Loch Lomond, as part of a great day out.

READ MORE
Local people invited to have their say on proposed Brown Institute garden

Local people invited to have their say on proposed Brown Institute garden

Renfrewshire Council is inviting local residents, businesses and partners to have their say on proposals for a public garden on the site of the former Brown Institute in Renfrew.

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

Renfrewshire Council
One Ren
Media Shop
The Quay
ATG
Hostelworld
Go Radio

Sponsored Links

Link
Renfrewshire Council
Paisley Town Hall Wedding Fayre
Paisley First
One Ren
St Columba's School
Renfrewshire Council
One Ren
Media Shop
The Quay
ATG
Hostelworld
Go Radio

Popular Events

Boogie & Brunch at IKEA Glasgow (Adults Only)
Get ready to take a chance on the most joyful brunch of the season... introducing ABBA Brunch at IKEA Glasgow!
Renfrewshire Ladies (Chat, Meet-up) Meet & Greet Session
Come along to La Creme in Bridge Of Weir and meet other ladies from the Renfrewshire Ladies (Chat, Meet-up) Facebook Group in a relaxed, informal setting.
Crown Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Crown Ballet return to Paisley Town Hall in October to enchant you with the delightful production of The Nutcracker, a wonderful treat full of glitter for the whole family!
XSite Funfair
The XSite Funfair returns for the summer holidays with the new Surge, Miami, Twister, the one and only Starfighter and the apple rollercoaster!
Night Waking
A darkly funny and deeply unsettling one-woman play is coming to Beacon Arts Centre. Night Waking is an urgent, razor-sharp meditation on motherhood, colonialism, and the things we leave behind.

Popular Listings

Beacon Arts Centre Braehead Arena Johnstone Town Hall Old Swan Inn Paisley Paisley Abbey Paisley Arts Centre Paisley Town Hall Robertson Park Renfrew The Bungalow Paisley Venue Paisley