First concert on The Royal National Mòd 2023 programme unveiled

Folk-electronica powerhouse Niteworks will bring this year’s Royal National Mòd to a spectacular close when they play Paisley Town Hall on Saturday 21st October.

The performance is the first in a vibrant programme of fringe concerts, shows, ceilidhs and exhibitions to be announced for Scotland’s premiere Gaelic musical and cultural event taking place across the town between 13 – 21 October 2023.

Acclaimed for their electrifying mix of Gaelic, Scots and English folk songs infused with cinematic electronica, Niteworks will headline the Paisley Mòd’s much-loved Closing Concert for the first time, rounding up nine days of celebrations of Gaelic language and culture in style.

Presented by The Reeling, Scotland’s newest trad music festival, the concert will be Niteworks’ only Scottish venue gig of the year and is the first time the SAY Award nominees and one of the world’s biggest Gaelic bands have played to audiences in Paisley.

The performance comes off the back of the band’s 2022 sell out Scottish tour which saw more than 6,000 tickets snapped up for venues including SWG3 Galvanizers and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

They will be joined by Glasgow trad fusion outfit DLÙ and the evening concert will follow the morning’s traditional Massed Choirs celebration on the streets of Paisley. 

2023 will be the second time the Royal National Mòd has visited the Renfrewshire town, having hosted a hugely successful event ten years ago.

Ruairidh Graham of Niteworks said: “We’re so excited to be bringing Mòd Paisley to a close for what is going to be a brilliant Saturday night. Being creative with Gaelic language by fusing it with contemporary sounds is at the heart of what we do, so to bring this to an event dedicated to the promotion of the language in Scotland is really special. We’ve never had the chance to play in Paisley before so we’re looking forward to getting out in front of everyone for what will be our only Scottish venue gig this year.”

James Graham, Chief Executive Officer of An Comunn Gàidhealach, said: “The Royal National Mòd’s programme of concerts and performances is always an unforgettable celebration and showcase of talent from Scotland’s traditional and Gaelic music scene and this year’s will be even more diverse and vibrant than ever before. With Niteworks set to bring an incredible level of excitement to our final night of the Paisley Mòd, we expect this concert to be very popular. It’s just a taste of what else will be unveiled on the nine-day programme in the coming weeks.”

Renfrewshire Provost, Lorraine Cameron, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming The Royal National Mòd back to Paisley this year and the news that Niteworks will close the event shows the calibre of talent people can look forward to over the course of the festival. The fantastic range of events and activities that will take place will give people a chance to come together and celebrate the very best of Gaelic language and culture whether they’ve been attending the Mòd for years or it’s their first time coming along.”

The Royal National Mòd is supported by EventScotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Renfrewshire Council, EventScotland, The Scottish Government, HIE, Caledonian MacBrayne, BBC ALBA, The Reeling and SQA.

Tickets for Niteworks presented by The Reeling at The Royal National Mòd at Paisley Town Hall on Saturday 21st October will be on sale from 9am on Thursday 1st June at  niteworksband.com. Sign up for artist presale at niteworksband.com to access tickets from 9am on Wednesday 31st May.

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Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X