Skip to content

Thousands descend on Paisley for Halloween festival

News imageRenfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson Crowds watch glowing parade performers march down Paisley high street - the town hall is illuminated in the background.Renfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson
Paisley is hosting its annual Halloween parade over the weekend

Thousands of visitors have descended on Paisley for the town's annual Halloween festival.

The event's popular parade was the main spectacle of Friday night featuring popular characters from children's books and films such as Harry Potter, Fantastic Mr Fox and Where the Wild Things Are.

More than 400 performers and community groups - including a striking troupe of illuminated drummers - snaked through the town centre in a macabre procession.

Festivities continued on Saturday, with the town's buildings adorned in spooky installations and light displays.

News imageRenfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson A young boy and girl in Halloween costume - the girl has long blonde hair, white face paint with dark circles around her eyes and wears a white dress. The boy is dressed as a vampire, mostly in black with a red collar and a red jumper depicting black bats.Renfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson
News imageRenfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson An aerial performer in a blue, orange and pink unitard swings on a rope with Paisley town hall's clock tower in the background.Renfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson
A mini version of the Bride of Chucky and Dracula characters joined in the fun
Aerial performers amazed onlookers

The Halloween festival included a funfair and includes entertainment for children and adults.

The event is delivered by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with performance specialists Cirque Bijou.

It comes the same week that Paisley was crowned Scotland's Town of the Year, in recognition of its "remarkable" revival.

The town's high street was among those badly hit by online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and the cost of living crisis.

But judges for the Scotland Loves Local awards praised Paisley for reaching a "critical point" in its transformation, driven by major investment and cultural renewal - citing events like the Halloween festival.

News imageRenfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson A mid 19th Century sandstone town hall building with pillars lit up by a purple and red light installation. Between the pillars are large inflatable eyeballs.Renfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson
News imageRenfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson A number of woodwind players in yellow and blue regalia perform in a street parade. They are watched by crowds who are blurred in the background of the shot.Renfrewshire Council/Jamie Simpson
Paisley's town hall was adorned with ogling installations which lit up the festival
Musical performances took place throughout the evening