New Mills Festival 2017

Chris Horkan
New Mills Festival

New Mills Festival at New Mills Art Theatre, 8 — 24 September 2017 Entrance is free — Visit now

Just a short train ride from Manchester, New Mills is in the heart of the Peak District – and for two weeks this September, the picturesque town plays host to a festival of talks, walks, concerts, exhibitions, trails and more, culminating with a spectacular lantern procession through The Torrs Gorge and a street party in the town.

Running since the 1990s, New Mills Festival provides a focal point for the community, with an estimated 20,000 people participating in 2016. Highlights this year include Manchester (via Marple) art pop band Dutch Uncles, who kick off the festival with the opening gig on Saturday 9 September. Seven-piece gypsy folk group Holy Moly & The Crackers provide another musical highlight, when the close the festival in energetic fashion on Sunday 24 September.

In between, get involved in lantern-making and pinhole camera workshops, join the town-wide Art Trail, enjoy some poetry or a film screening, and sign up for the popular Drink & Draw event (‘we provide the model and music, you bring your sketching materials and tipple of your choice’).

Across 16 days and nights, New Mills Festival offers something for everyone.

New Mills Festival at New Mills Art Theatre, 8 — 24 September 2017 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near New Mills Festival 2017

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Launching in spring 2024, Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter.

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

Winckley Square
Lancashire
Park
Winckley Square

Hosting a variety of year-round events, from guided walks to jazz evenings, Winckley Square is a Georgian square packed with history in Preston city centre.

What's on: Festivals

Until
FestivalsManchester
Winter Island

Freight Island has transformed into Winter Island for the Christmas season, focusing on all things fun and festive.

free entry
Until
ActivitySale
Prism: Light Trail

This winter you can see a series of light installations through Sale Town Centre, designed by children and young people from the borough.

free entry
FestivalsManchester
Lightwaves at Salford Quays

An unmissable ten days of luminary adventures. Interact with boundary-breaking new commissions, create your own digital masterpieces and take a selfie with a Dalek. Yep, really.

free entry
ChildrensCheshire
Christmas at Bolesworth

Come to Cheshire’s winter wonderland. A magical festive lights trail, Santa’s Grotto and more… This is a jam packed adventure for all the family.

from £20.00

Culture Guides

Music in Manchester and the North

Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.