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.
The traditional Sma’ Shot holiday in Paisley takes its name from a famous dispute between the local shawl weavers and manufacturers in the 19th century. This year’s event marks 40 years of Sma’ Shot Day celebrations as we know them today and will take place on Saturday 4 July.
The Sma’ Shot parade will leave from Brodie Park at 12 noon before making its way through Paisley town centre and finishing at Abbey Close.
This year’s parade is being co-ordinated by Bridgeman Arts in collaboration with more than 20 local community groups, performers and musicians and will showcase two new puppets. A giant ‘blue goddess’ puppet celebrating the vibrant cultural diversity of the region will be accompanied by Abhinaya classical Indian dance group and STAR Project, and a giant footballer puppet in the colours of local team St Mirren will be accompanied by local dance group right2dance and Renfrewshire Young Carer’s Centre, who have made complimentary props and costumes.
The annual ‘Burning of the Cork’ spectacle at the heart of the Sma’ Shot celebration, will take place at 2pm, preceded by a rallying performance from Renfrewshire’s Tannahill Makar, Shaun Moore and followed by a celebratory dance from right2dance.
The event will also feature performances on the main stage from PACE Youth Theatre, who will re-enact the struggles of the Paisley weavers in their efforts for payment of the Sma’ Shot thread, a specially commissioned collaborative performance between School of African Cultures Ubuntu Drumming Group and traditional musicians from Fèis Phàislig, and other local performers.
There will be street performances taking place throughout the day as well as free activities for children including face painting, inflatables, and sports themed arts and crafts.
Don’t miss your chance to meet Glasgow 2026 mascot Finnie! She’ll be posing for photos and helping everyone get excited ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
There will be stalls from local community groups and the Big Feed will host a market outside Paisley Town Hall with hot food offerings and artisan traders.
In addition to events at Abbey Close and Bridge Street, upcycling business Restoration and Creation on Browns Lane will be hosting a variety of children’s workshops throughout the day, and a special 40th anniversary street party from 4pm featuring live music, a ceilidh and a DJ.
The historic Sma’ Shot Cottages will also be open for tours, where visitors can take a trip back in time to two distinctive periods of Paisley’s rich textile history and see what life was like as a weaver in the town in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Plus, there’s an afternoon of dancing and timeless tunes to enjoy at the Tea Dance at the Methodist Central Hall, and the Sma’ Shot Poetry Slam returns to Paisley Arts Centre from 6pm. Tickets available from OneRen.
Sma’ Shot Day is organised by Renfrewshire Council as part of the area’s major events programme which attracts thousands of visitors each year and sponsored by Unison Renfrewshire.
To find out more about this year’s Sma’ Shot Day celebrations, visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/sma-shot-day