A New Chapter for a Beloved Venue: Paisley Arts Centre

Tucked behind the Paisley Shopping Centre on New Street, Paisley Arts Centre is one of the town's most cherished cultural spaces — and following a stunning £3 million refurbishment, it's better than ever.

The venue reopened in July 2024 with a fresh look, new facilities, and all the warmth and character that has made it a Paisley favourite since 1987. If you haven't been in a while, now is absolutely the time to go.

A Building With a Story

The Arts Centre is housed in the Old Laigh Kirk, a historic building constructed by the town council nearly 250 years ago as Paisley's first post-Reformation church. Founded in 1738, this remarkable space has been welcoming audiences for arts events for nearly four decades — and with its stunning restoration, it's set to welcome many more.

Fresh Look, Familiar Warmth

The refurbishment has transformed the venue inside and out. The main auditorium has been fitted with brand-new retractable seating — more comfortable, with more leg room — while the sound and lighting systems have been upgraded to a professional, state-of-the-art standard. Enhanced rehearsal spaces and new dressing rooms make it a first-class home for performers too.

The front of the building has been thoughtfully redesigned, with new paving and seating replacing the old railings, and a welcoming new entrance extension has been added. Inside, the café/bar has been completely refreshed and is now home to Blend Coffee Company — the perfect spot for a pre-show coffee or a post-show drink. And for the first time, wheelchair accessible spaces are now available on the first floor.

Something for Everyone, All Year Round

The programme at Paisley Arts Centre is packed and genuinely varied. Drama, dance, physical theatre, comedy, jazz, popular music and family shows all feature throughout the year, making it a venue that has something to offer whatever you're in the mood for. With 158 seats, it's an intimate space that makes every performance feel special — you're never far from the action.

Plan Your Visit

Paisley Arts Centre is on New Street, right in the heart of town. Check out what's on and book your tickets at oneren.org.

Whether you're a regular or it's your first visit, there's never been a better time to discover what Paisley Arts Centre has to offer.

History of Paisley Arts Centre

The Laigh Kirk was founded in August 1738 by the Burgh of Paisley and by the Presbytery of Paisley as the parish church for the whole burgh, in response to the burgeoning population of Paisley and the dilapidated state of Paisley Abbey which, at that time, was outside of the Burgh limits on the opposite (western) bank of the River Cart.

The Burgh and town of Paisley were formally disjoined as a parish from the old Parish of Paisley, which had served a large geographic area, at the August 1738 meeting of Paisley Presbytery, with the cover page of the first minute book of the church declaring it to be a “record of the Parish of the Burgh of Paisley”.

In 1756 and again in 1781, as a result of Paisley’s continued expansion, the parish was sub-divided with the creation of the High Kirk and the Middle Kirk, respectively. These three worked together under the auspices of the “Paisley Joint Session.”

The original Laigh Kirk building was located in New Street. In 1820, due to the ever growing size of its congregation, the Laigh Kirk moved to a new, much larger building on George Street.

The Laigh Kirk continued to grow and expand, as did Paisley; and to meet these demands a new congregation was seeded by the Laigh Kirk on Neilston Road, the South Church. Beginning its life as a Chapel of Ease under the Kirk Session of the Laigh Kirk, the events of the Disruption of 1843 saw this sister congregation leave the Church of Scotland and join the new Free Church of Scotland, as the Free South Church. It would be over 140 years before these two halves became whole again, with the reunion of the two congregations (by this time known as St George’s Low and St Andrew’s) in 1985. The name Laigh Kirk was re-established in Paisley and served the Parish from its Causeyside Street base, the building originally built as the Free South Church of Scotland.

On Thursday 6th January 2011, The Laigh Kirk united with the congregation of the former Castlehead Church of Scotland. The new congregation is called Stow Brae Kirk, and meets for worship in the former Laigh Kirk buildings on Causeyside Street.