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Exciting 12 months ahead as council backs packed year of events

BIRTHDAY BASH: Rochdale Feel Good Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary on 11 and 12 August

An exciting programme of events over the next 12 months is being promised by Rochdale Borough Council to provide a boost to residents and businesses as well as attracting visitors from across the region.

Hot on the heels of this month’s Rochdale Digital Festival - next month sees the return of Rochdale Wedding Show, with hundreds of couples planning to tie the knot heading to the town hall on Sunday 2 April, alongside over 35 of the borough’s most beautiful, stylish and inspiring suppliers plus a breath-taking catwalk show, food tastings and live music. 

On Saturday and Sunday 27 and 28 May a new Street Eat food event will take place in Rochdale Town Hall Square, celebrating the best local restaurants.

On Sunday 21 May Middleton’s double Olympic gold medal-winning and World Champion cyclist Joanna Rowsell Shand MBE hosts ‘Ride Rochdale’ a female-only cycling event featuring a choice of two rides; 'Blackstone Vale' a 45-mile route with 4,500 feet of climbing and ‘Blackstone Vale and Moor' a 75-mile challenge with 8,000 feet of climbing. Both take their names from Blackstone Edge in Littleborough which will feature in the early part of the scenic courses.

Rochdale Feel Good Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary on 11 and 12 August, promising another incredible showcase of entertainment, food and culture. Past Feel Good performers include The Fratellis, The South, Scouting for Girls, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Toploader, The Feeling, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Badly Drawn Boy and The Lightning Seeds. 2017 festival will include live music across indoor venues, a main stage against the backdrop of the town hall, a quality food court and family entertainment.

Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon, 10K and Fun Run will be staged on Sunday 8 October and once again all races will start and finish by Rochdale Town Hall.  Since 2015 over 2,200 people have taken part in the event, which sets out past the new Gracie Fields statue on traffic-free courses taking in the town and some of the north west’s most picturesque countryside scenes.  

That’s followed by a week of arts and culture thanks to Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival, from Tuesday 17 to Monday 23 October promising a packed week of excitement for all ages. Events will cover drama, comedy, poetry, spoken word, visual arts and children’s shows. For young people aged 14 to 25, another ‘Generation Z’ programme is being put together, with plans to commission a brand new piece of work specially for the festival.

Rochdale Beer Festival in association with CAMRA returns for a third year on November 17-18, and November will also see the beginning of a programme of festive and New Year events.  

There’s a new arrival for Spring 2018 - Rochdale Food and Drink Festival to be held in late March.

Councillor Janet Emsley, Cabinet Member for Culture Health and Wellbeing said it’s an exciting twelve months ahead: “This programme of events is a significant commitment by the council to give residents and visitors lots of good reasons to keep coming into town, supporting our shop and businesses, as well as attracting a good deal of positive publicity for the borough. Rochdale really is the place to be this year with so much going on. I’ll be excited to welcome the new arrivals, Ride Rochdale, Street Eat and Rochdale Food and Drink Festival as well as the return of our hugely popular established events and of course the Rochdale Feel Good Festival, celebrating its tenth birthday this summer.  The council will also be supporting numerous other events organised by community groups and individuals which make up an exciting calendar.”

For more information on events in the borough and advice on how to plan your own, visit www.rochdale.gov.uk/events

16 Mar 2017