Burnley to host a 'Staycation Celebration' this summer

Burnley is preparing to host a ‘Staycation Celebration’ this summer with tastes of culture from around the world coming to the town over six successive Saturdays.

Burnley Business Improvement District, Charter Walk, Burnley Council and Burnley Markets are working together to deliver a series of events during the school holidays with fewer people expected to be going abroad in July and August this year.

As a result, the organisers want to bring flavours from of a number of different countries to the streets of Burnley to get people into the holiday spirit.

Burnley’s Staycation Celebration gets underway on Saturday 24th July with a focus on Greece and this will then be followed over the next five weekends by themes relating to France, Italy, Spain, USA and finally the Caribbean.

Events will take place from 11am-4pm each Saturday with activities and attractions located throughout the town centre.

Visitors will be able to enjoy food from each culture alongside music and dance, while street performers and demonstrations will provide fun and entertainment for people of all ages.

Some acts are still in the process of being organised and regular updates will be announced on the Discover Burnley Facebook page over the coming weeks which you can follow here: https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverBurnleyBID.

A landing page will also be created on the Discover Burnley website in due course which will be updated as the events progress.

Burnley BID project manager Andrew Dean is looking forward to the six events and can’t wait for people to get into the staycation spirit.

“We know that a lot of people won’t be jetting off this year to experience different flavours and cultures like they normally would during the summer holidays so we decided to bring a taste of some popular destinations to them instead,” said Andy.

“There will be great food, music and unique performances over the different events with something to capture everyone’s imagination. It’s also our hope that people who come to check out the Staycation Celebration pay a visit to our shops, retailers and hospitality venues while they’re in Burnley too. They would love to see you as they continue to bounce back from the pandemic.”

Andrew’s sentiments were added to by Charter Walk Centre Manager Debbie Hernon who commented: “We are looking forward to welcoming our shoppers over the summer and bringing the holiday spirit to Burnley. Each week you can experience a different country with entertainment for the whole family so there really is something for everyone. Stay local and shop local this summer.”

Councillor Asif Raja, executive member for economy and growth at Burnley Borough Council, said: “We know how to have fun in Burnley and it's great news that our town centre is getting ready to host such an impressive line-up of events. Burnley town centre offers fantastic shopping and leisure experiences and the Staycation Celebration only adds to this.

“We’re ready to welcome both local visitors and those from further afield and encourage them to make the most of their weekends here by taking advantage of Burnley’s vibrant and diverse dining offer during the day and into the evening via our large range of independent cafes, restaurants and bars.

“I’d also like to add that while COVID restrictions have now been relaxed, it is still important that people are kind to one other, practice good hand hygiene and respect distancing.”

Burnley’s Staycation Celebration events have been made possible thanks to investments from the event organisers and the Welcome Back European Government fund.