Feel Good family events to return in summer 2024

Skylight Circus Arts at Queen’s Park in Heywood

Free summer fun will be returning to the borough, with Rochdale Borough Council confirming Feel Good Family Picnic events will be staged again in 2024.

The popular new event for families was launched in July, with over 9,500 people attending events in Heywood, Middleton, Littleborough and Rochdale.

To coincide with the Summer Olympics in Paris, the theme for the next Feel Good Family Picnics will be the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

Line-up details will be announced in the spring but the event will include days of free fun activities, performances, music, sports, dance, theatre and shows for children of all ages in local parks and once again visitors will be encouraged to bring a picnic.

Councillor Janet Emsley, the council’s cabinet member for equity, safety and reform said at Rochdale Borough Council said: “The support we had for this new event was absolutely superb and the feedback fantastic, so I am very excited to confirm it will be returning. Planning is at an early stage but activities will reflect our Olympics theme and we’ll be creating another amazing programme of free things to do.”

Dates and locations will be confirmed in the new year.

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 will be supported through the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Find out more when annoounced at rochdale.gov.uk/familypicnic and like FeelGoodFamilyPicnic on Facebook. If you are a local artist or organisation interested in being involved, email FamilyPicnic@rochdale.gov.uk