A new arts festival is coming to Rochdale this month, bringing a week of performances, exhibitions, and hands-on activities ‘shaped by local people’.
Developed with community input and led by local voices, Side-by-Side – which has been organised by Touchstones Rochdale – will showcase Rochdale’s talent, imagination, and creativity in a bid to bring people together, strengthen community spirit, and share the stories, cultures and activities that make the borough unique.
Across the week of the festival, visitors can enjoy a packed programme of fantastic events led by local community groups.
These range from performances and exhibitions, to baby yoga, creative workshops, and more.
One of the festival’s stand-out events is set to be a funny and thought-provoking performance set in a children’s hospital called Ward 76.
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The show blends comedy with real-life themes, and explores growing up, disability myths, and the everyday humour that connects us, and then after the performance has finished, audiences can join in a wheelchair obstacle course to bring the show’s themes to life.
The Friday of the festival brings the chance to relax and build confidence, as there’ll be a ‘Pizza Party’ where professional artists from Rochdale’s Side-by-Side: ‘Set A’ youth group will set out picnic blankets and serve free pizza in a relaxed community setting, before the afternoon then shifts its spotlight onto Rochdale’s Youth Takeover where young people from across the borough have curated a full line-up of activities.
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From meditation sessions to hands-on creative workshops, the afternoon will be packed with opportunities for young voices to be heard and celebrated.
A new community arts festival with dozens of free events takes over Rochdale this summer / Credit: Alan Hamer (Supplied)
Some of the other events on the lineup include a relaxed drop-in workshop featuring mindful drawing, beading and more, and more plays and productions presented by local drama groups set up to support Rochdale residents.
“Side-by-Side is a new arts festival for the borough of Rochdale that is about bringing together, working together and being together,” commented Harry Meadley, who is the festival’s Creative Lead.
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“It’s a chance to experience and celebrate artworks, performances, events, workshops and activities created by people from across the borough. But more than that, it’s an invitation to get involved – not just now, but in shaping the festivals to come.
“So whether as a visitor, spectator, participant or future collaborator, we look forward to welcoming you in, and sitting or standing side by side with you.”
Side-by-Side is taking over Rochdale Town Hall Square from Wednesday 20 to Wednesday 27 August.
All events are either free to attend or offered on a ‘pay what you can’ basis – with options to pay £2.50, £5, or £7.50, as any income generated will be reinvested in supporting further community-led work through Touchstones.
Featured Image – Alan Hamer (Supplied)
What's On
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Co-op Live)
What's On
The best cheese tasting party in the North is BACK at a new Manchester venue
Danny Jones
That’s right, one of the biggest and best cheese tasting nights in the entire land is returning to Greater Manchester at a brand new city centre venue.
Not to be over-the-top, but this isn’t just another experience sampling possibly the greatest foodstuff on Earth, it’s a fully-fledged cheese-lovers’ party.
Some of you may have come across Homage2Fromage before, but for anyone unaware of the Yorkshire-born event, it started out as a monthly cheese tasting club and went on to expand across the dairy-adoring North at large.
Relaunching here in Manchester for 2026, all you lactose-intolerant people better watch, because Home2Fromage is coming back with a vengeance and heading to the Northern Quarter. Here’s how it went down the last time we visited one in Leeds:
Leeds, Sheffield, Harrogate, Manchester and who knows where else next.
Posting up in a relatively recent addition to NQ‘s bar and restaurant scene, The Faraday – a pub on Lever St that replaces the old Seven Sins back in October – it looks set to be an ideal venue for the regular evening series.
Homage2Fromage will be making its Manc return this month, and better still, they’re holding a cheeky little giveaway to sweeten the pot.
As in the deal, we mean – not the inevitable bowls full of olives, chutney, oil and various other dips…
To welcome this celebration of all things cheese coming back to Manchester city centre, they’re giving away a bunch of free tickets: 20 pairs in total.
Worth over £50 a piece for each twin set of tickets, you’d be a fool not to at least throw your hat in the ring for this one.
As you can see, the competition closes this Thursday, 19 February, ahead of the full relaunch party next week (Wed, 25 Feb), and all you have to do to enter is fill out this super quick survey.
It really is as simple as that; a few quick words are all that stand between you and a potential mountain of cheese and more.
You can find all you need to know about the event right HERE, and in case you haven’t popped into The Faraday just yet, see more down below.
It’s still somewhat early days, but we can see ourselves spending a fair bit of time in this up-and-coming Manchester watering hole, especially when there’s cheese nights involved.
Emily Sergeant -
15th August 2025 
