Renfrewshire Council announces return of popular events this winter

Renfrewshire Council is planning for in-person events this winter with the return of two local favourites The Spree and Paisley Halloween Festival.

The council’s event programme has been exclusively online since March 2020.

As the Scottish Government eases restrictions on indoor and outdoor events, the local authority has announced plans for the return this October of these popular festivals – but with new formats for 2021 as health protection measures remain in place.

The Spree is a popular music and arts festival which first took place in 2012 and this year’s event is scheduled for 8-16 October 2021.

The iconic Spiegeltent will return with a programme of Scottish and UK-based music artists announced later this month. Show capacities will be reduced from those in previous years to allow for some physical distancing and health protection measures.

The Wee Spree programme will also return for the school holiday week with a fun schedule of activities and arts for kids and families taking place in a range of venues across Paisley.

Programme details will be made available later this month at www.thespree.co.uk.

Paisley Halloween Festival has been the most popular event in Paisley’s calendar in recent years. It was recognised as Best Cultural Event or Festival at the Scottish Thistle Awards 2019/2020 organised by VisitScotland.

The festival’s 2021 edition will take on a very different format this year with a series of spectacular installations that are ‘Out of This World’ popping up across Paisley town centre over five-days from 28 October – 1 November 2021. The event is part of the celebrations for Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21.

Louisa Mahon, Head of Events, Marketing and Communications for Renfrewshire Council, said: “It’s great to be looking forward to in-person events again, but we are always mindful that public safety is the number one priority while we’re still living with coronavirus.

“Live music has been much-missed these past 18 months and it has been great to see its return locally in recent weeks. We’re very happy to be working with Regular Music again to bring some top Scottish and UK artists to the festival. With the Wee Spree and events coinciding with the school holidays, we’re aiming to offer some fun, safe family activity that we can all enjoy locally.

“Paisley Halloween Festival has become our most popular event in recent years and one of Scotland’s favourites. This year’s event takes a different format but our, together with our event partners Cirque Bijou, I’m confident everyone who visits our town centre on those five days will enjoy an ‘out of this world’ experience! Keep your eye on Paisley.is for more information out soon.

“Like other local authorities, we are ensuring our plans for hosting events are in keeping with the latest guidance from the Scottish Government.”

The Spree and Paisley Halloween Festival have received funding support from EventScotland’s Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund and the Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and with the easing of restrictions it is great to see the return of live, in-person events, including the return of both The Spree and the Paisley Halloween Festival. Events are such an important part of our communities and EventScotland is delighted to be supporting The Spree through Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund and the Paisley Halloween Festival in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21.”

More information about both events is available online at www.paisley.is.