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The Royal National Mòd will return to Paisley in 2023 and is set to bring thousands of visitors and competitors to the town.
This will be the second time Paisley has hosted Scotland’s premier celebration of Gaelic language and culture, and the town hopes to build on the success of the 2013 festival, which at the time was one of the best attended in the event’s history.
The festival will run from 13 – 21 October 2023 and will feature a range of competitive disciplines including: Gaelic song, poetry, literature, drama, instrumental, Highland dancing and sport.
The main venue will be Paisley Town Hall, currently being transformed as part of a wider investment by Renfrewshire Council in the town’s cultural venues. The reopened venue will keep the historic architecture the venue is known for but will add modern entertainment facilities, and the Mòd will be among the first big events it will hold.
This year the Mòd was hosted in Perth which saw around 2,100 participants from across the world take part in a total of 200 competitions. This included 34 choirs and 900 soloists, with a staggering 200 trophies scooped up over the course of the event.
Around 7,500 people are estimated to have visited Perth for the festival and its thought to have contributed around £1 million to the local economy.
Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron attended the closing ceremony in Perth to accept the Mòd flag and the official handover of the festival to Paisley.
She said: “It’s an honour to accept the Mòd flag, signalling the return of the Royal National Mòd to Paisley in 2023, exactly ten years after it was last hosted in the town.
“The Mòd promises to be a fantastic celebration of Gaelic culture and heritage and I’m really looking forward to welcoming competitors and visitors to our area.
“Renfrewshire has a rich Gaelic history. There are currently more than 1,500 residents of Renfrewshire who speak, read or write Gaelic, and recently we welcomed the first of many children to our new Gaelic school at West Primary.
“We’ve been working hard alongside An Comunn Gàidhealach and our Local Organising Committee to prepare for the event and further details about the programme will be announced soon.”
Angus Ferguson, Chair of the Local Organising Committee said: “As someone who was on the 2013 Mòd Phaislig committee I’m delighted that An Comunn and Renfrewshire Council have agreed to bring the Mòd back to Paisley. It’s a great honour to be part of the team delivering Scotland’s premier Gaelic festival and I’m confident Mòd Phaislig 2023 will be a fitting showcase of Gaelic language and culture.
“Paisley’s central location and first class transport links make it easily accessible from all parts of the country and the town’s growing reputation as a cultural centre means it’s ideally suited to host the Mòd.
“The town’s performance spaces – including the recently refurbished town hall and the iconic Abbey – are second to none and the proximity of venues to each other will enhance the event for competitors and audiences alike.”
Find out more information about the programme as it is announced at the Renfrewshire Council website.
