Action-packed year of events revealed by Burnley BID

Burnley Business Improvement District (BID) has revealed its schedule of events for 2023 including two brand new festivals which will take place in spring and summer.

Building upon what the town centre organisation delivered last year - which included trails, a car show and festive fun - the BID has lined up six different activities to help bring footfall into Burnley and there is something that appeals to everyone.

First up will be Burnley’s Robotnation event on Saturday 18th February comprising two walkabout acts from The Transformers film franchise alongside arts and crafts, while on Saturday 6th May a special coronation event for King Charles will be held in Town Square featuring acoustic music acts and cream teas.

Later in the year the Vintage and Performance Car show will roar into town on Saturday 9th September after a successful debut in 2022, before Burnley is once again transformed into a winter wonderland on Saturday 18th November to kickstart the Christmas celebrations.

In the middle of all that however the BID will be shining a spotlight on Burnley’s creative prowess by way of two events focusing on the Arts.

Kicking things off at the end of April will be a Music Festival, with a range of town centre venues hosting performances from singers and bands. A small stage will also be constructed on Ormerod Street to provide another location for musicians to perform.

Then across two weeks in June, a Words Festival will recognise the impressive cultural scene in the area through a series of events, sessions and workshops highlighting music, film, graphics, poetry and much more.

Running from Monday 19th June until Sunday 2nd July, the festival’s main activity will take place on the middle weekend from 23rd-25th  June and is set to draw in crowds from all over Lancashire and beyond.

On top of all this the Burnley Artisan Market will continue to take place on the first Saturday of each month too. It returned on Saturday 4th February for its first event of 2023 and once again attracted a wide range of visitors to St James’s Street and Charter Walk.

Speaking about what’s happening in Burnley this year, BID project manager Andrew Dean explained how he wanted to ramp the events up in 2023 and really create a buzz around the town.

“Since the pandemic we’ve been working with our town centre partners to slowly introduce more festivals and events and we decided it was time to be ambitious and create an even bigger calendar of activity to bring more visitors into the town,” said Andrew.

“There is something for everyone in the plan we have established and we’re particularly excited about the Words and Music Festivals which will unleash Burnley’s creative side for everyone to see.”

Andrew finished by adding: “We’d love to see you so put some dates in your diary and discover Burnley – there’s so much to see and do!”

For the latest information on everything that’s taking place in the town, make sure you follow the Discover Burnley Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverBurnleyBID.