Mark your calendars 📆 Something spectacular is coming to Stockport town centre this Christmas 💫

Stockport will be marking the beginning of the festive season this November with an enchanting one-day celebration, filled with a huge line-up of breath-taking acts and captivating performances.

What:            Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday

When:           Sunday 19^th November 11am – 4.30pm

Where:          Stockport town centre

Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday – a brand new, experience; a magical day packed with exhilarating thrills:
60+ shows / 220 artists / 35+ hours of entertainment / 25+ performance groups – an immense day out!

Sites across the town centre will be brought to life with a magical array of roaming street theatre, breath-taking shows, carnival fun, amazing acts, live music and food.

Market Place, the Underbanks, Suffragette Square, Mersey Square and Merseyway will be bursting to life with amazing performances and vibrant acts.

DOWNLOAD THE EVENT PROGRAMME HERE 

MARKET PLACE  12pm – 4pm (performance times may vary throughout the day)

Promising to bring festive magic to all, shoppers and families can expect a grand celebration on Market Place, where Mr & Mrs Boon will be presenting an afternoon tea with a twist, filled with sublime cakes, teas and tunes by Inspiral Carpets and Manchester legend, Clint Boon.

With live music running throughout the Market, don’t miss popular technicolour New Orleans marching band, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, who will be bringing glorious, carnival renditions of popular 90s hits, whilst families can also enjoy a Christmas dance-along with Granny Turismo.

One of the classic street theatre shows of the last 20 years, The pompous Spurting Man, by international street theatre legends Avanti, will also be heading to Market Place, performing a series of tricks culminating in a display of squirting water until he cascades fountains of water from his body.

THE UNDERBANKS 12pm – 4.30pm (performance times may vary throughout the day)  

Celebrating Stockport landmark, Strawberry Studios, the Underbanks will play host to Take Me to The Bridge, a grand concert piano recital showcasing classic tunes, all known to be recorded at Strawberry Studios. Stockport’s very own aerial specialists Blush Aerial Dance, will perform several stunning shows suspended above the piano.

Curious, walkabout acts will make their way through the Underbanks, including roaming penguins and giant, enchanting puppets. And to mark the end of the day’s performances everyone is welcome at 4.15pm for a huge, festive singalong under St Petersgate Bridge, where local musicians, choirs and community groups will come together next to the piano to mark the beginning of Christmas.

Further up the Underbanks at Mealhouse Brow Junction, The Bicycle Bistros will be bringing their comedic, café mayhem and visitors can expect bucket loads of fun as comedy act and street entertainers, Full Circle by Avanti, bring an intriguing performance to the town filled with many, many buckets at Great Underbank Junction.

MERSEYWAY SHOPPING CENTRE  11am – 5pm (performance times may vary throughout the day)

It’s a cultural Christmas extravaganza at Merseyway as fascinating walkabout performers take over the shopping centre! Expect stunning fairies, peculiar penguins, dinosaurs in Christmas hats, dancing snowflakes, Christmas Comedy Waiters, a giant stilt Holly tree, comedy acts and many, many more. Santa’s street band, Red Hot Santas, will be playing classic Christmas hits with a modern twist, while Stockport’s very own specially designed ‘Rangoli’, will emerge throughout the day, created by acclaimed artist, Ranbir Kaur.

Picture by Richard Crease

If you’re passing by Suffragette Square and Mersey Square, listen out for the miniature carnival that will be parading between the two, at various times throughout the day. 100 local flagbearers will head up a bright and bold procession, alongside dancers and 30-strong carnival drumming band Katumba, who will be bringing a fierce fusion of UK club music and the sounds of north eastern Brazilian carnival. The performers will be accompanied by a squad of giant walkabout puppets, which at 4m high are almost as tall as double decker buses.

And to help visitors make their way around the town, keep an eye out for Stockport’s Snail Jockeys, the town’s most unusual tour guides! Signposting audiences to special events across the town centre, make sure to stop and take a ‘shellfie’ as you follow the route.

Taking place on Sunday 19th November 2023, this will be a spectacular day out for everyone – make sure to save the date 

Brought to you by @stockporttownofculture   @stockportcouncil  @merseyway and @totallystockport.

#stockportspectacular #skxmas2023