Love in the Market returns to Ashton with music, theatre and free family fun

Ashton Market Hall is set to burst into colour, creativity and community spirit once again as Love in the Market returns on Saturday 14 February 2026.

Back after a spectacular reception in 2025, the free one-day cultural event will run from 10.30am to 3.30pm, transforming the historic market hall into a vibrant celebration of local talent. Visitors can expect live music, theatre, puppetry and hands-on creative activities for all ages, all taking place alongside the everyday buzz of the market, traders, food and drink.

Love in the Market has been created and delivered by creative industry students from Tameside College, taking part in Tameside New Creatives, a professional development programme led by Curated Place. Working closely with professional artists and mentors, the students have programmed the event from start to finish, turning Ashton Market Hall into a lively hub for culture, creativity and community.

Across the day, audiences will be entertained by an exciting mix of live bands performing classic hits and new material, family-friendly theatre and puppetry, and free creative workshops designed to get everyone involved.

A major highlight of the day is live music from Good Habits, the acclaimed indie-folk trio described by BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson as “21st-century musicianship at its best”. With performances at Glastonbury, WOMAD, Green Man, Kendal Calling and the Cambridge Folk Festival under their belts, and a UK Top 40 Folk Chart album Quarter-Life, the band will be bringing their international reputation to Ashton to support emerging local talent.

They will be joined by VIP, the hit band that proved a crowd favourite at last year’s event. Made up of top-quality professional session musicians and vocalists, VIP specialise in feel-good party tracks spanning funk, soul, Motown, rock, indie, pop and disco.

Families can also enjoy From the River’s Mouth, a 20-minute puppetry performance by The League of Curiosity. Aimed at children aged five to ten, the show combines physical clowning, traditional storytelling and puppetry to create a charming and funny theatre experience.

For those who want to get creative themselves, free workshops will include Valentine’s card making, paper flower crafting and loved-up decorations. Visitors will also have the chance to create their own screen-printed tote bag, guided by local artists and illustrators.

Love in the Market marks the culmination of several months of learning and collaboration through Tameside New Creatives, a programme supported by Tameside Council and the UK government through the Flexible Local Authority Grant (FLAG). The initiative is designed to help young people from underserved communities access creative careers, gain real-world experience and play an active role in Tameside’s cultural life.

By placing students at the heart of the process, the event demonstrates how investing in young creative producers can bring fresh energy to local places while building sustainable pathways into the creative industries.

One participating Tameside College student said: “Being part of Love in the Market has given us real experience of what working in the creative industries is really like. We’ve been involved in everything from marketing and budgeting to programming and working with professional artists. Bringing something we’ve created to life in our own town is incredibly rewarding and a great boost in starting a creative career.”

Councillor Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s executive member for lifelong learning and culture, added: “Love in the Market will really showcase the incredible talent and imagination of our young people. The students bring fresh energy into Ashton Market Hall with activities for all ages, and I’d encourage everyone to come along, join in and enjoy a fantastic day of creativity and community.”

Andy Brydon, Director of Curated Place, said: “The students have worked with real budgets, professional artists and experienced mentors to turn their ideas into reality. They have taken ownership of the creative voice of their town and shown what can happen when young people are given agency, support and belief.”

For more information, visit www.intameside.co.uk.

Credit: Tameside Council