Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

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

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

The free two-day spectacular is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the UK and attracts tens of thousands to the town.

This year, it will cover everywhere from Bridge Street and County Square to 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 that takes place on the Saturday and will have an extended route.

More than 300 costumed performers, including local groups, voodoo acrobats, fire performers, 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 in 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.

International fire theatre company PyroCeltica will bring a unique performance to 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, the disco will deliver plenty of dancing, singing and Halloween fun for all the family.

DJs will play a range of floor-fillers to the masses covering everything from Halloween favourites to the best of Indie disco, pop and dance classics.

The weekend will offer plenty of opportunities to join in the fun with a range of family 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.

Louisa Mahon, from 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 £1.9million 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 festival was awarded £16,950 of National Programme funding from Event Scotland to stage the showcase.

Paul Bush OBE, of VisitScotland, added: “EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the Paisley Halloween Festival through its National Events Programme.”

To find out more about Paisley Halloween Festival visit

www.paisley.is/halloween