Spectacular celebration brings culture and creativity to Oldham

Festival Oldham returned to Oldham town centre at the weekend with a spectacular celebration of creativity, culture and community.

This year’s free outdoor arts festival officially launched Oldham’s Greater Manchester Town of Culture programme, Rising Up, marking the beginning of an exciting year of arts and culture across the borough. 

Inspired by all things green, floral and full of summer energy, Festival Oldham 2026 brought a blooming wonderful day of entertainment featuring local, regional and national outdoor artists performing across the town centre. 

Visitors enjoyed an exciting programme of street theatre, dance, visual arts, family performances and live music throughout the day. 

The main stage on Parliament Square hosted performances from Taste of Sabrina, Baked À La Ska, Untold Orchestra and Snow in August, creating a lively soundtrack for the day’s celebrations. 

New for 2026 was REACH - Dancing Town, a showcase celebrating some of the very best dance talents from across the borough. 

Festivalgoers enjoyed an incredible line-up of outdoor performances including Bee-Yond the Garden Gate by Limelight Circus, Easy Lay Eggs by Fair Play and The Pigeons by Circii. The majestic Summer Lion by Creature Encounters also roamed through the town centre across the day. 

Neil Consterdine, Director of Communities at Oldham Council, said: “Festival Oldham is always one of the highlights of our year and 2026 promises to be our biggest and most exciting festival yet. 

"It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring people together, celebrate the incredible creativity we have across our borough and showcase Oldham as a vibrant destination full of culture, talent and community spirit.”