Paisley Arts Festival line-up revealed with three days of music, art and live performances

The line-up for the first-ever Paisley Arts Festival has been unveiled, promising three days of live performances, music and visual arts celebrating the town’s creativity, hidden histories and cultural impact.

The new festival runs from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th March, with tickets going on sale at 10am on Friday 30th January.

The festival is themed The Sound of Paisley and aims to showcase the town’s radical energy and world-renowned creative legacy, from fashion and art to punk, electronic music and chart-topping pop.

The opening night headline event will see Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh lead a special tribute to his friend, globally recognised designer, musician and artist Pam Hogg. Titled Pam Hogg: Style, Defiance and the Art of Being Seen, the event takes place at Paisley Town Hall and will explore her life, legacy and cultural influence.

The reflective conversation will feature personal insights from Welsh alongside contributions from guests across music, fashion and journalism, including Scottish model and actor Eunice Olumide MBE.

Saturday 28th March will be headlined by Club 69 @ Paisley Arts Festival, running from 5pm to 10.30pm. The event will celebrate the lasting impact of Paisley’s legendary Club 69 nightclub, known for championing electronic music, hosting internationally respected artists and supporting emerging talent.

Taking place at Paisley Town Hall and followed by an intimate after-party at nearby Club 69, the night will feature a carefully curated line-up of house, techno and club-focused sounds. Artists announced include Melé, Optimo, Jaguar, Jasper James and Frankie Elyse.

Sunday 29th March will be headlined by From Punk to Paolo, a live celebration of Paisley’s contemporary music story, curated and hosted by BBC broadcaster Vic Galloway. Also staged at Paisley Town Hall, the show will feature a 10-piece house band led by Joe Rattray of Admiral Fallow.

Guest singers will perform songs reflecting key eras and influences in Paisley and Scotland’s music scene, with artists including Richard Jobson of The Skids, members of The Rezillos, King Creosote, Kathryn Joseph, Emma Pollock, C Duncan, kitti and others. The setlist will span artists such as Buzzcocks, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Elvis Costello and Echo & the Bunnymen, alongside songs by Altered Images, Orange Juice and Aztec Camera. Music made famous by Paisley performers Kelly Marie, Gerry Rafferty and Paolo Nutini will also feature.

Alongside the headline shows, a packed programme of events will take place throughout the weekend, including an art exhibition, an aerial dance theatre performance and a production taking audiences on a time-travelling journey through Paisley. Events will be hosted at Paisley Town Hall and Paisley Arts Centre.

The festival is organised by cultural and leisure charity OneRen, with support from Creative Scotland.

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Chair of OneRen, said: “We could not be happier with the line-up for the first-ever Paisley Arts Festival.

“This is a festival which will really get under the skin of Paisley as a music town, from which passion, creativity and energy has been felt across the world. It is a remarkable story to tell.”

Paisley Arts Festival forms part of OneRen’s wider programme of events in the town, which also includes Paisley Book Festival from 15th to 17th May and Paisley Comedy Festival from 10th to 14th September. Line-ups for both festivals will be announced in due course.

Full details of the Paisley Arts Festival line-up, including booking information, will be available at www.oneren.org/paf. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 30th January.

Full listings:

• • Inspired Art Exhibition
    Date: Friday 27th March – Sunday 29th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall
    Price: Not listed
    Description: Annual art exhibition celebrates 20 Renfrewshire pupils’ identity-focused portraits, inspired by Paisley Museum.

• • The Paisley Sound: Radical
    Date: Friday 27th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall, 7pm / 7.30pm / 8pm
    Price: FREE
    Description: Join us for our first-ever Arts Festival with a show-stopping outdoor event that will fill the town with music, light and pure celebration.

• • Songs of Paisley: Past, Present and Proud
    Date: Friday 27th March
    Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 3pm
    Price: PWYC – £7/£5/£3
    Description: A musical celebration of place, people and identity led by Paisley Buddies Evelyn Laurie and Neil Thomson.

• • Pam Hogg: Style, Defiance and the Art of Being Seen hosted by Irvine Welsh
    Date: Friday 27th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall, 8.30pm
    Price: £15/£13
    Description: A reflective conversation by writer and close friend Irvine Welsh exploring Paisley-born designer Pam Hogg’s life, legacy and cultural impact.

• • Stanley Odd
    Date: Friday 27th March
    Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 8pm
    Price: £15
    Description: Rooted in rap and fusing electronic funk, punk and hip hop, Stanley Odd are one of Scotland’s most politically charged and distinctive voices.

• • Sub Space Soft Space
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall, 10am and 1pm
    Price: FREE
    Description: Multi-sensory sound installation invites young children ages 0–5 and families to explore accessible, immersive music together.

• • Let’s Start at the Very Beginning: Ancient Paisley
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 10am
    Price: PWYC – £7/£5/£3
    Description: Paisley’s past bursts to life with fun stories of Romans, saints, kings, monks and magical beasts.

• • The Swings (© Suzanne Heffron)
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Abbey Close (outside Paisley Town Hall), 11.30am / 12.30am / 2pm / 3.30pm
    Price: FREE
    Description: A giant swing set with soaring acrobats invites everyone to play, glide and feel wonderfully free.

• • Punk, Paolo and the Poet Weaver: The Paisley Music Trail
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall, 11am and 1pm
    Price: £15/£12
    Description: Guided walking tour explores Paisley’s rich musical heritage, iconic artists, punk history, and cultural landmarks.

• • Paisley’s Brilliant Buddies: The Growing Town
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 12pm
    Price: PWYC – £7/£5/£3
    Description: Paisley’s busy past bursts with fun stories of clever makers, brave helpers and amazing football wins.

• • Punks, Pop and Aliens on the Loose!
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 2pm
    Price: PWYC – £7/£5/£3
    Description: Paisley zooms into modern times with rockets, music, wild aliens and a super-fun dance-off.

• • Club 69 @ Paisley Arts Festival
    Date: Saturday 28th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall, 5pm – 11pm
    Price: £28
    Description: A high-energy night of cutting-edge electronic music featuring Melé, Optimo, Jaguar, Jasper James and Frankie Elyse and an exclusive Club 69 after-party.

• • Women + Make Noise!
    Date: Sunday 29th March
    Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 2.30pm
    Price: PWYC – £7/£5/£3
    Description: Join us for a collaborative music performance celebrating Paisley’s stories, rhythms and lived experience. Experience the sounds of the Women+ Make Noise! Choir with musician Farzané Zamen.
  • From Punk To Paolo
    Date: Sunday 29th March
    Venue: Paisley Town Hall, 7.30pm
    Price: £35/£33
    Description: A live musical celebration hosted by Vic Galloway charting Paisley’s journey from punk to Paolo, featuring Richard Jobson of The Skids, The Rezillos, Kathryn Joseph, King Creosote, Emma Pollock, C Duncan, kitti and Linzi Clark, storytelling and big singalongs.