Entry fee introduced for Feel Good Festival and plans for new free family event revealed

Want to buy this photo?

Feel Good Festival

An entry fee is being introduced for this summer’s Feel Good Festival by Rochdale Council.

Tickets for the event, now in its twelfth year, will cost £6 in advance, with a £10 cost for on the day tickets (no concessions).

Announcing the change on social media, the team behind the Feel Good Festival said: “The decision to introduce a small entry fee for the Feel Good Festival has been a tough one and something we have been thinking carefully about over for the last 3 years. With costs increasing we felt that after 12 years it is important to secure the future of the event by reducing our reliance on public funding.

“Since 2008 Rochdale Borough Council has invested well over a million pounds into the festival, but severe cuts in public spending during that time have resulted in budgets being squeezed and many council services cut.

“We’ve lost 25% of our council funding since 2018, but we want the festival to continue to be the best it can be.”

Rochdale Feel Good Festival will include live music across indoor venues, a main stage sponsored by The Flying Horse Hotel near the town hall, a food and drink village and other entertainment. 

Although there will still be some entertainment for younger visitors at Rochdale Feel Good Festival, most activities for children and families will move to a brand new free event to be held in Broadfield Park on Saturday 25 July. The ‘Feel Good Family Picnic’ will be a huge day of fun activities and shows for children, taking over the historic town centre park.

Councillor Janet Emsley the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture said: “Over the last few years, we have been asking visitors if they would pay a small entrance fee to help secure the long term future of the festival and the majority have said they would. We feel the ticket price is modest for up to ten hours of quality entertainment, and helps us strike a balance for taxpayers who want to see the public support reduce and festival visitors who want to continue to enjoy a top class summer event.

“Rochdale Feel Good Festival makes a significant contribution to the local economy as well as attracting income from sponsors and traders and we want to see it continue to grow. We also want to see it generate the funds to continue to be the best it can be.” 

She continued: “Improving the range of entertainment and activities for families with children is something we have done over the last couple of years, but moving this element of the festival into a park setting in July will create a much bigger, better and more welcoming event. The Feel Good Family Picnic is going to be a really magical day out in a beautiful setting.”

A previous Freedom of Information request by Rochdale Online revealed in 2018 that that year's festival cost £90,000 to host, with £34,000 being paid to the bands.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/122233/money-spent-on-feel-good-festival-is-obscene-says-local-resident

The Feel Good Festival takes place on Saturday 22 August and tickets go on sale soon.