Festival Oldham returns – bigger, bolder, and more brilliant than ever!
Festival Oldham and the Summer Music Festival return to Oldham Town Centre on 5 July 2025, featuring over 60 performances and activities across various locations, all free to attend. The theme "Global Threads" highlights diverse cultures through music, dance, fashion, and art. New for 2025, Oldham Music Centre’s Summer Music Festival will join with 30 ensembles performing.
Oldham Town Centre will transform into a vibrant cultural playground on Saturday 5 July as Festival Oldham and the Summer Music Festival combine for a day-long celebration featuring over 60 free performances and activities.
The annual festival, running from 10am to 7pm across locations including Parliament Square, Gallery Oldham, and the Old Town Hall, embraces this year’s “Global Threads” theme with an eclectic mix of music, dance, fashion and art from around the world.
Hilton Square will host headline dance performances including Sonia Sabri Company’s Mughal Miniatures: The Awakening, which reimagines the grandeur of the Mughal Empire through contemporary movement. Chad Taylor’s Closer to my Dreams follows two Manchester brothers pursuing their aspirations to become professional dancers, while Ghetto Fabulous presents a family catwalk extravaganza where audiences vote for winners in a dance, fashion and lip-sync showdown.
Street artist Scott Walker will create live artwork through his Doodle Jam and Art Trail, inviting passers-by to contribute to evolving murals. Roaming performers including Turbo & Dai, Bling’n’Ting, and Slo:Rida will weave through the town centre throughout the day, with Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre hosting traditional Kids Club activities.
The 2025 festival welcomes a new addition as Oldham Music Centre’s Summer Music Festival joins the celebrations, featuring 30 ensembles performing classical orchestras, brass bands, choirs, rock groups and musical theatre at venues including the Festival Oldham Main Stage at the Old Town Hall and the historic Oldham Parish Church.
Cllr Peter Dean, Cabinet Member for Culture & Leisure at Oldham Council, said: “Festival Oldham is one of the standout moments in our events calendar, and this year’s celebration promises to be the biggest yet. Festival Oldham is all about bringing people together through creativity, culture, and shared experiences. It’s a brilliant opportunity to enjoy world-class performances from local and national performers right on your doorstep and to celebrate the incredible diversity and talent we have here in Oldham.”
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