Line-up announced for new Feel Good Family Picnics

Date published: 27 June 2023

The line-up has been revealed for the new Feel Good Family Picnics being held in Rochdale, Heywood, Littleborough and Middleton next month (July 25 to 28).

Visitors to the free family events will be able to experience over 20 amazing different attractions during each day, including live performances, music, theatre, sports and shows for children of all ages. 

Spectacular outdoor performances include ‘Do what your mamma told ya’ by Just More Productions. It is billed as a vibrant comedy circus show with a feast of food fusion and storytelling across geography and generations.

Circus artists Blaze and Fatina star in the plate-spinning, food-juggling, fire-blazing show, bringing the family kitchen and its recipes to life, culminating in a hula-hooping finale.

Theatre Temoin will perform ‘FLOOD’ their interactive outdoor spectacle highlighting the health of the world’s ocean. Utilising circus, music and acrobatics it features an epic adventure to understand how our coastline and communities have become ‘seasick’. Standing under your own personalised sound umbrella, ‘FLOOD’ is designed to take you ‘beyond your front door and into the eye of the storm’.

Live music will be provided by festival favourites including Flat Cap Brass who play fun and friendly brass as you’ve never heard it before. The Ski Band will play a selection of tasty ska, calypso, reggae and rock ‘n’ roll tunes and there will also be an appearance by Northern Dholis; who play traditional Indian drums called dhols to blend folk sounds with modern pop hits.

Master storyteller Gav Cross presents his hilarious ‘Twisted Tales for Terrible Children’ show – revealing the terrible, silly and the downright incredible ’truths’ behind famous classic tales.

At 1.45pm each day it will be time for a real Feel Good picnic, with visitors encouraged to bring their own supplies and tuck in while a stunning carnival procession travels around the parks led by international carnival arts company Global Grooves, featuring giant puppets, costumes, funky drumbeats, flags and high energy dance.

Theatre company Colour the Clouds will stage BUZZ - the story of a young worker bee who learns how important her contribution is. Rochdale’s M6 Theatre will perform their play ‘On the Street Where I Live’ - a captivating introduction to live performance for children aged three to six and their families, and Skylight Circus Arts will present a breath-taking aerial circus display featuring a host of daring acrobatics and more.

Visitors can also try a range of popular sports and games including boccia, rounders, tennis, dance and football with staff from Your Trust. Look out for workshops and taster sessions where you can take part, covering a range of fun activities including circus skills, Yoga, and martial arts.

Organisers want the event to reduce its impact on the environment as well as showing visitors ways to reduce your carbon footprint, save energy and be kinder to our planet so there’ll be lots of sustainable activities to see and try including upcycling, health and wellbeing, nature based craft activities and water saving tips.

You’re encouraged to take your picnic waste home, and bring a water bottle as free refills will be available all day.

The Feel Good Family Picnic will take place in Falinge Park (Rochdale) on Tuesday 25 July, and then Limefield Playing Fields (Middleton) on Wednesday 26 July and Hare Hill Park (Littleborough) on Thursday 27 July. Its final stop will be Queen’s Park (Heywood) on Friday 28 July.

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for events at Rochdale Borough Council said: “The Feel Good Family Picnic will be four fantastic days out, taking the family activities we used to love at the Feel Good Festival to a new level, free to attend fun and culture with something for everyone, in the beautiful setting of our lovely parks and gardens.

“I’m looking forward to seeing lots of local people as well as visitors from across Greater Manchester, giving us the opportunity to showcase what the area has to offer and giving parents something fabulous to do with children in the school holidays.”

The Feel Good Family Picnic will be staged by the council in partnership with Without Walls, a consortium of festivals and arts organisations bringing fantastic outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across England. It has received funding from UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

All events run from 11am to 4pm. Find out more about the line-up at rochdale.gov.uk/events and like FeelGoodFamilyPicnic on Facebook.