Paisley Alive, Scotland’s first festival to unite music, fitness and wellness, has confirmed the full programme for its inaugural event in 2026. The new one-day festival will welcome 10,000 attendees for a family-friendly experience running from sunrise to sunset across 6 tents, stages + areas.
A core part of the festival’s mission is to reinvest proceeds into restoring Barshaw Park’s iconic bandstand, transforming it into a year-round venue for gigs, weddings and community events. The project forms part of Paisley’s wider cultural revival, which has seen more than £100 million invested across venues and public spaces, establishing the town as a growing creative hub within Renfrewshire.
The By Day line-up is guided by three specialists: fitness expert Jo Roberts, wellbeing leader Jenny Clark and early years educator Emma O’Donnell. Centred around movement, participation and wellbeing, the sessions feature masterclasses from HYROX Pro athlete Gede Foster and Team GB’s two-time European karate medallist Amy Connell, delivering a self-defence session informed by her elite competition techniques. Additional sessions include coaching insights from celebrated running expert Shane Benzie and outdoor training with world record holder Chloe McNiven and a high-energy line dancing session on the main stage led by award-winning Maggie’s Line Dancing, inviting audiences of all ages to get moving together.
All daytime sessions, across fitness, wellness and family activities, are included in the ticket price with no pre-booking required. Renfrewshire residents will receive priority access to tickets and programming, with the festival committed to celebrating and uplifting the local community first. Children under 12 can attend free of charge.
Mr Motivator will also bring his trademark energy to the daytime schedule, alongside demonstrations from the Scottish BMX School and an array of workshops curated with accessibility in mind.
Wellness experiences throughout the By Day programme include yoga and cold therapy led by Soulful Sunday, pilates by Studio Lakas, forest bathing, sauna sessions with Wee Wild Sauna, mindset coaching and restorative practices, Reiki Love Club, Claire McLean (Founder of Only Human), Amanda Trainer (Mrs Brain Trainer), Brian Costello (Head Strong Minds) and David Millar of Mantra Menswork. Globally recognised breathing expert Stuart Sandeman will also lead a breathwork-with-music session. He is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Breathe In Breathe Out, host of BBC Radio 1’s Decompression Session, and founder of Breathpod. Two dedicated wellness tents will host a full day of guided sessions ranging from outdoor meditation to integrative life coaching.
A full Kids Area will offer hands-on workshops, creative play and music activities from BuddieBeats, the Glasgow Science Centre’s BodyWorks team, Mini Manoeuvres, Good to Gogh, Mini First Aid and Big Kids Little Learners. Ceilidh sessions with Fèis Phàislig, appearances from Ms Rachel and Blippi impersonators, a silent disco and circus shows from Circus Alba bring additional entertainment for younger festivalgoers.
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From late afternoon, the festival shifts to its By Night programme. Multi-platinum artist Rag’n’Bone Man headlines the Main Stage, bringing one of the most distinctive voices in modern British music to Barshaw Park. Since breaking through with his 4 x platinum, chart topping debut LP Human. He’s earned multiple Brit Awards and amassed a devoted following for his powerful baritone and signature fusion of soul, blues and hip-hop while collaborations with Calvin Harris, P!nk, Gorillaz and Bastille have further cemented his star status.
He is joined by disco icons Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge, Fife breakout Cammy Barnes, whose chart-topping country-meets-Scottish sound has made him a standout live acts, high energy favourites Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 and Glasgow troubadour John Rush.
The Bungalow Stage, named for Paisley’s celebrated grassroots venue, champions Scottish talent. Performances include Linzi Clark, Frankly the Smiths, The James Experience Born of Frustration, Scottish Album of the Year winners Kai Reesu and RuMac, whose genre-bending accordion sound closes the stage.
A dedicated Food Zone will run throughout the full day, offering vegan, organic and farm-grown dishes alongside festival favourites such as pizza and loaded fries alongside a DJ and acoustic music offering with more information to follow.
Paisley Alive has been brought to life by local entrepreneur and music promoter Scott McFarlane, who created the festival after spotting a gap in Scotland’s entertainment landscape.
Commenting, Scott McFarlane said: “When we first announced Paisley Alive, the why was simple: to create a festival that the whole family could genuinely take part in, not just attend. Now that we can share the full programme, it feels like that vision has really come to life, with world-class music at night and a full day of movement, wellbeing and activities that are open to everyone, included in the ticket, and designed to make people feel welcome from the moment the festival opens.”
He continued: “Just as importantly, this is not a one-day moment. It is about leaving something behind. Reinvesting into the restoration of Barshaw Park’s bandstand sits at the heart of what we are building, and we are proud to be creating a festival that celebrates Paisley while supporting the town’s cultural future.”
The Festival will take place at Barshaw Park on 4 July 2026. General sale tickets are now available here.
