OMD and Gabrielle headline Rochdale's big music weekend

Rochdale is gearing up for its biggest music weekend of the summer, with two major events set against the backdrop of the town's historic Town Hall. The Rochdale Feel Good Festival, one of Greater Manchester's longest-running festivals, returns on Saturday, August 8, while the night before, Friday, August 7, will feature a host of 80s rock legends with special links to the town.

Rochdale Feel Good Festival lineup and details

The festival's main stage will be headlined by two-time BRIT Award winner and pop/soul icon Gabrielle, with rock band Ash and Starsailor also performing. They'll be joined by rising talent including Manchester's Alex Spencer and two new Rochdale bands - house-pop, funk and indie disco four-piece K-ESTATE and new five-piece rock band Metro - who will play the biggest gig of their careers.

Aside from the main stage, there will be live music across seven indoor venues and a food and drink village. The annual festival is organised by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council.

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Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation, said: "Gabrielle is one of the UK's most influential singer-songwriters, so to have her performing in Rochdale will be very special, together with two hugely popular indie rock bands and a host of other amazing acts."

She added: "With the main stage in the restored Rochdale Town Hall Square and gardens, set against the backdrop of the town hall it's a stunning location too."

OMD headline show on Friday

The night before the festival, synth-pop icons Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) will perform a headline show at Rochdale Town Hall Square, alongside post-punk legends Peter Hook & The Light and Manchester's post-punk/funk band A Certain Ratio.

It's set to be a historic gig, as OMD will be returning to where it all began - having recorded their debut single Electricity in Rochdale back in 1979 at the town's Cargo Studios. Genre-defining hits followed, including Enola Gay, Maid of Orleans, Souvenir, and If You Leave, propelling them into the stratosphere and shaping the musical landscape of the 1980s.

OMD's live shows are packed with energy, nostalgia and synth-driven brilliance, and they are promising a night of dancing and timeless hits when they return to Rochdale and headline one of the north's most spectacular heritage venues, fresh from its multi-million-pound revamp.

Joining OMD will be Peter Hook and The Light, with Hooky also having recorded at Cargo Studios, cementing Rochdale's crucial role in the post-punk and electronic music scene. The band will be playing a career-spanning set including seminal tracks from the rich back catalogue of Joy Division and New Order.

Manc music legend Clint Boon will also be DJing on the night and will introduce OMD onto stage.

Staged in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency, the special show is part of 'Rochdale Music Stories' - a campaign launched last year as part of the town's year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, to shine a spotlight on Rochdale's longstanding influence on British music whilst promoting the next wave of talent.

Clint Boon said: "Rochdale boasts a rich and diverse musical legacy and at Suite Sixteen and Cargo Studios on Kenion Street in the town, the trailblazing artists on this line-up and many others recorded some of their most memorable work."

He added: "This OMD concert in Rochdale is going to be an amazing and historic night, with Peter Hook and A Certain Ratio also playing. All these bands mean such a lot to me, as does Rochdale, it's my former hometown and where I went to art college many years ago. I'm very excited to come back and host this one."

Set times for the weekend

Below are all the timings for the weekend. It's worth noting that set times are always subject to change, so best advice is to get in early to make sure you don't miss any of the acts.