Waterfoot Events

Supporting arts, culture and community events across Waterfoot.

Through the Pride in Place programme, £10,000 will be allocated each year for the next four years to support Waterfoot Wakes, helping the festival continue, grow and attract further external investment. The remaining annual events funding will support other strategic events in Waterfoot, contributing to the town’s ambition to become a recognised destination for arts and culture.

Waterfoot Wakes festival in Waterfoot
Waterfoot Wakes brings arts and culture to the town. (Image: CATHERINE SMYTH)

Waterfoot Wakes 2026

Waterfoot Wakes returned on 11 July 2026, bringing arts, culture and creativity to the town. The main festival and Baby Boo Takeover generated more than 1,300 attendances, with 1,282 recorded and estimated attendances across the events.

Audiences enjoyed a varied programme of theatre, live music, dance, photography and workshops across Waterfoot.

Live performance at Waterfoot Wakes
Performances and activities at Waterfoot Wakes 2026 (Image: CATHERINE SMYTH).
Az Kabile belly dancers
Az Kabile belly dancers (Image: CATHERINE SMYTH).

Creative workshops bringing the community together

In the lead-up to the festival, Horse + Bamboo delivered four public making workshops in June, giving local people the opportunity to create artwork for the event. Working with local artist Alastair Price, participants created environmental and decorative festival structures designed to be reused and added to in future years.

The pieces were displayed at locations across Waterfoot, including outside Waterfoot Yard, on Waterfoot Square and outside Horse + Bamboo.

performers on stage
Activities at Waterfoot Wakes entralled crowds (Image: CATHERINE SMYTH) .

Looking ahead to 2027

Waterfoot Wakes will return on Saturday 10 July 2027. Confirmation of Pride in Place funding through to 2029 gives Horse + Bamboo greater confidence to seek additional match funding, sponsors and partners, helping the festival develop and reach more people over the coming years.

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Iain Taylor

Pride in Place is about giving communities a stronger voice and making sure investment supports the places and projects that local people believe will make the biggest difference

Iain Taylor
Chair of the Pride in Place Board

Lynn Smith

The Pride in Place programme gives local people the opportunity to guide how funding is used and to focus on the improvements that matter most to them.

Lynn Smith
Chair of Civic Pride

We have secured £20m for the next 10 years for Waterfoot, Crawshawbooth and Rawtenstall.

The government strongly endorsed our plan, which means we can start to deliver the things our community want.

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Rob Huntington

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Rob Huntington
Chief Executive Rossendale Council

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