A brand-new festival is set to take over Burrs Country Park in Bury for two weeks of live music, community events and artisan food beginning on the bank holiday.
Running from August 27 to September 5, Burrs Live by The Met will feature a packed programme of live performers including Beatles tribute The Bootleg Beatles, folk supergroup Show of Hands, and one of the biggest success stories in British theatre history, The Magic of Motown.
On September 3 and 4, the park will also play host to Head For The Hills festival – starring multi-instrumentalist Badly Drawn Boy, electronic afro-funk band Ibibio Sound Machine, and psychedelic trail-blazers, Heavy Salad.
Manchester’s own Everything Everything will headline the Saturday bill, with additional performances from singer-songwriter Bess Atwell, four-piece The Magic Numbers, and award-winning folk trio Harp and a Monkey.
Manchester’s Everything Everything will be making an appearance at Head For The Hills
Happy Festival, an event inspired by the work of much-loved local comedian Victoria Wood, will be taking over the grounds on September 5.
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Hosted by Britain’s Got Talent’s Steve Royle, the line-up includes Manchester comedian Rachel Fairburn along with Wood’s longtime collaborator (and Coronation Street star) Sue Devaney.
Brightside Brewery will be providing the drinks throughout Burrs Live with a selection of local food vendors on site, with the event supported by Arts Council England, GMCA, Bury Council and Bury Town of Culture.
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Charlotte Morris, Bury Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and the Economy said: “There’s something really special about the way this set of events is designed to bring the best of our borough’s culture and creativity into the heart of one of our fantastic outdoor spaces.
“I would encourage everyone in our borough to go along if they can.”
Folk supergroup Show of Hands will play an outdoor show at Burrs Live
Burrs Live will take place from Friday 27 August – Sunday 5 September at Burrs Country Park, Woodhill Rd, Bury BL8 1DA.
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Day tickets range from £11 – £30 (inc. fees)
For the full lineup and event information visit The Met website.
What's On
The ENTIRE Manchester Village Pride lineup cost £20k less to book than ONE headliner last year
Daisy Jackson
Bosses behind Manchester Village Pride have revealed that the entire lineup has cost significantly less than the amount spent on just one headliner last year.
In a statement promising transparency, organisers said that the entire weekend of artists has cost less than one single headliner from 2025.
And by some margin – £20,000.
The announcement comes less than a year after the previous Manchester Pride organisation entered voluntary liquidation amid rising costs, declining ticket sales and an ‘ambitious refresh’ of the festival format.
That refresh included moving the main music portion of the annual LGBTQ+ celebration away from the Gay Village itself, and over to Depot Mayfield.
The collapse of Manchester Pride followed reports that performers from the 2025 event were still waiting to be paid, with entertainment union Equity later saying its members were more than £70,000 out of pocket.
Manchester Village Pride was subsequently established as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, with organisers promising a more community-focused approach and greater transparency around finances.
The 2026 event is being delivered with unpaid directors, while organisers have also signed an Equity agreement guaranteeing fair pay and professional standards for performers – the first UK union agreement of its kind for a Pride event.
Performing at Manchester Village Pride this year are major artists like Nadine Coyle, Danny Beard, Gareth Gates, Kate Nash, Cascada, and Rowetta.
They’re joined by a lineup of fantastic home-grown talent, including artists, DJs, and drag queens, taking our city’s Pride celebrations back to their roots, and keeping things firmly in the Gay Village.
In their statement, Manchester Village Pride said: “Transparency time! Booking this entire weekend of fabulous artists cost us £20k UNDER what was spent on a single headliner last year. This is what community Pride looks like!”
Manchester Village Pride will once again take place over the August bank holiday weekend, with the party running for four days from Friday to Monday.
The celebrations will culminate in the moving candlelit vigil in Sackville Gardens.
Ticket prices this year, even with just over a week to go, are only £40 for the full three-day festival, or £25 for one day. Monday will be free to attend.
You can ALREADY book tickets for Greater Manchester’s beloved Santa steam trains this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s beloved Santa steam train rides are back for more festive fun this Christmas, and tickets are already on sale… genuinely.
Sure, it’s literally the middle of August, and we’ve still got the rest of summer, and the small matter of a bank holiday weekend, Halloween, and Bonfire Night to get through first, but East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is already looking ahead to the most magical time of year.
The iconic heritage railway has announced that its hugely-popular ‘Santa Specials’ steam trains are back once again from late November.
The famous festive steam trains have become an essential part of Christmas for many families in the North West.
Santa Specials are your chance to hop on board an old-school steam train and travel through the magical Irwell Valley to make ‘enchanted memories’ that last a lifetime.
You can ALREADY book tickets for Greater Manchester’s beloved Santa steam trains this Christmas / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography (via ELR)
The truly special Christmas day out starts as you make your way through a winter wonderland at Bury Bolton Street Station, and first get to meet some old favourites and new characters – including the magical talking Christmas tree, Mrs Claus, and ELR’s very own Ice Princess – all before before having a singalong with a chorus of musical polar bears.
The festive fun then continues on the Santa Special steam trains themselves – with an 80-minute ‘enchanting voyage’ through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
And, of course, you can expect a special visit from Santa while you’re on board.
After you’ve grabbed a selfie or two with the big man himself, the grown-ups can look forward to mince pies and festive tipples, while little Mancs can enjoy a soft drink, some chocolate, and take a festive-themed activity pack home with them.
The Manc -
17th August 2021 
