Rochdale Feel Good Festival offers its best line-up to date

This time round THE SOUTH head up the main stage outside the atmospheric Town Hall. Comprising members of The Beautiful South, one of the most successful British bands of all time, this is one nine-piece of exceptional talent, who bring with them classics from their original oeuvre- such as Rotterdam, Perfect 10 and Don’t Marry Her– plus work from their post-Beautiful long form offering, Sweet Refrains, which arrived to critical acclaim in 2012, cementing their status as far more than a mere reprisal outfit.

Joining them on Saturday will be TOPLOADER, capping off a day of performances guaranteed to pull in big crowds. With more than 15 years of music behind them, including a string of Top 20 singles such as Dancing In The Moonlight, Achilles Heel, and Time of My Life, the English alt-rock ensemble have plenty to play, and a strong reputation in the live arena.

Meanwhile, local ska troupe THE UPLIFTERS, who have supported scene legends such as Neville Staple, The Beat and Bad Manners, will also be on hand. This is all in addition to the as-yet-unannounced Battle of the Bands winners- an annual competition at the festival- and one final act to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Far more than just another major concert, the event retains a heavy focus on cuisine again. Celebrity chefs scheduled to offer cookery masterclasses and workshops include the revered RACHEL KHOO – known for her TV shows including The Little Paris Kitchen and A Cook Abroad– long-time friend of the festival and BBC Fusion man, AAZAM AHMAD, and KEVIN WOODFORD, whose CV includes Best Daytime Presenter for Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook, not to mention Ready Steady Cook and The Reluctant Cook. With so many selling points, it’s no surprise Rochdale Feel Good is one of the North West’s biggest free parties, and a treasured institution.