Oldham Council reveals exciting new free Autumn/Winter Events Programme

Packed with the usual family favourites, plus some new surprises, all designed to bring the community together and support local businesses.

As part of the refreshed lineup, we are excited to announce Nostalgic Oldham, a brand-new event, coming to several popular venues across the town centre on Saturday 28 September. 

This fresh new event ties in with our 175th anniversary celebrations and will give visitors the chance to take a trip down memory lane with us and look back on fond memories, from timeless games to live music across the decades, old-fashioned circus fun and classic mini coopers.

There will also be vintage hair sessions at Tommyfield Market, strolling performers roaming the High Street, face painting, crafts, a good old-fashioned sports day, a Virtual Reality studio, retro arcade and the return of the Spindles Brick Show – highlighting impressive Lego builds from across Manchester.

Local business Billingtons will also be hosting a Saturday Soul Music Club from 3pm, and the award-winning Fox and Pine will be hosting live music from Kieran McMahon 1pm to 3pm – with both venues serving up some nostalgic northern grub.

From Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November, the Half-term Halloween Trail returns. Take a spooky journey through the town centre and see if you can spot our Halloween-themed items. Spot them all and you can be in with the chance of winning some spooktacular prizes.

Sunday 27 October sees the return of the popular Oldham Halloween Half Marathon, the borough’s 13.1 mile course, which is widely regarded as one of the toughest half marathon events in the country. So pop into town and cheer on the runners as they set off from the High Street at 9.30am. If you’re up for the challenge, Oldham Active still have places available and they can be booked here.

A new Family Firework Evening will take place on Guy Fawkes Night (Tuesday 5 November) in the heart of the town centre, where you can enjoy entertainment and crafts from 4 to 6pm and watch the night sky light up with a  firework display at 6pm. They’ll also be offers on at various eateries in the town centre, so grab a bite to eat and find the best spot to watch the firework display!

This year, the fireworks event will replace the traditional bonfire at Oldham Edge. Oldham Council’s decision to re-look at the event reflects our commitment to supporting local businesses and encouraging visitors to explore what our town centre has to offer.

Oldham’s much-loved Christmas Light Switch On event will return on Saturday 16 November, lighting up the town centre in festive cheer. With a family funfair, entertainment, music, food and of course, our Christmas lights, the annual event will run throughout the day with the switch-on taking place at 6pm. The Christmas switch-on marks the start of a programme of free family entertainment on Saturdays through to Christmas.

Leader of Oldham Council, Cllr Arooj Shah said:

“Oldham has a vibrant and proud community spirit, and we are excited to bring back some of our favourite events while adding fresh new experiences and events for residents to enjoy.

“The Autumn/Winter events are our top programme of activity to help benefit residents, local businesses and visitors – aiming to bring footfall into the town centre.

“Oldham is a fantastic place to live, work and visit and we have created this series of activities that caters for all ages, which will benefit the economy right here in Oldham.

“We’re excited to welcome everyone to these fantastic events, and I’ll certainly see you there.”

Further details on the events will be shared on the Love Oldham Facebook page, so like the page to ensure you keep up to date on the key acts and performances.

For more exciting events taking place across Oldham, don’t forget to visit our What’s On Oldham website.