Stockport is about to get very lively as Spectacular Sunday is coming back next weekend. The one-day festival is bringing a sleigh-load of extraordinary entertainment, larger-than-life characters, live music and Christmas mischief to the town centre.
Taking place on Sunday 15th November from 12pm – 5pm, the free festive extravaganza will see more than 200 performers and over 50 shows bring the town to life. The event will turn Stockport’s streets and squares into a winter wonderland where the unexpected is around every corner, and Christmas cheer comes with a generous helping of glorious mischief.
“A wonderfully wild mix of street theatre, comedy, music and festive fun”
From a giant Snow Lion and a circus adventure that’s truly Over the Moon to a nightclub that proves big things really do come in small packages, this year’s programme promises a wonderfully wild mix of street theatre, comedy, music and festive fun. Add Brazilian-inspired drumming, a silent disco, a spot of Christmas kitchen chaos and some seriously splashy science, and you’ve got a recipe for a Sunday that’s anything but ordinary!
Full line-up and timetable for Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday
Performance times and locations may shift subject to weather.
Merseyway
- Carol Singing Crackers (Festive choir): 12:00–12:45pm, 2:00–2:45pm, 3:30–4:15pm
- The Festive Funnels (Street spectacle): 12:00–12:45pm, 1:30–2:15pm, 3:00–3:45pm
- Make-up by Swank (Festive face painting): 12:00–12:45pm, 1:30–2:15pm, 3:30–4:15pm
- Liver Cottage at Christmas (Comedy cooking show): 12:00–12:45pm, 1:00–1:45pm, 2:30–3:15pm
- Emily Flanagan (Live illustration): 12:00–4:15pm
- Around the World with Phileas Fogg, Day 79 (Interactive street theatre): 12:00–12:45pm, 1:15–2:15pm, 3:00–4:00pm
- Eye of Newt (Mystery walkabout act): 12:15–1:00pm, 1:45–2:30pm, 3:30–4:15pm
- Drum Machine (Live drumming): 12:30–1:15pm, 2:00–2:45pm, 3:15–4:00pm
- Snow Lion (Giant puppet spectacle): 12:30–1:15pm, 2:00–2:45pm, 3:30–4:15pm
- Tinsel & Cracker (Walkabout comedy duo): 12:30–1:15pm, 2:00–2:45pm, 3:30–4:15pm
- Very Curious Contrivance (Visual curiosity show): 12:30–1:15pm, 2:00–2:45pm, 3:30–4:15pm
- Over the Moon (Circus acrobatic show): 1:00–2:00pm, 2:45–3:45pm
- Flat Cap Brass (Brass band): 1:15–1:45pm, 3:15–3:30pm
Mersey Square
- Steel Band (Caribbean festive rhythms): 12:30–1:15pm, 1:45–2:30pm, 3:30–4:15pm
Redrock
- Flat Cap Brass (Brass band): 12:00–12:15pm
- Conundrum Community Samba (Samba drumming): 1:30–2:15pm, 3:00–3:45pm
The Underbanks
- Miniscule of Sound (Micro-nightclub): 12:00–4:15pm
- Familie (Interactive street theatre): 12:15–12:45pm, 1:30–2:00pm, 2:30–3:00pm, 3:30–4:00pm
- Carnivalia by Katumba (Percussion and dance): 12:30–1:15pm, 1:45–2:30pm, 3:15–4:00pm
Stockport Market & Market Place
- Silent Disco (Open dance floor): 12:00–4:00pm
- Juba do Leão (Brazilian percussion): 12:00–12:45pm, 1:30–2:15pm, 3:00–3:45pm
- Hydropunk (Interactive water installation): 12:45–3:45pm
- Sid Bowfin’s Christmas (Classical comedy capers): 12:45–1:30pm, 2:15–3:00pm, 3:45–4:30pm
Warren Street
- Ohana Community Arts (Local community showcase): 12:00–4:00pm
- Oldham Theatre Workshop Bubble (Interactive bubble performance): 12:00–12:45pm, 1:30–2:15pm, 3:30–4:15pm
A parade finale and the Christmas lights
And just when you think things can’t get any brighter, Stockport is turning the festive dial up with a spectacular parade and Christmas lights switch-on at Merseyway at 4.45pm. With more than 100 drummers bringing the beat, expect a grand finale that will have the whole town marching to the same festive rhythm before the Christmas lights switch-on.
Organised in partnership by Totally Stockport, Stockport Council, Merseyway, Redrock and Stockport Market, with production by Global Grooves, the event is free and aimed at families, so there is no need to book tickets to catch the shows. Performances are spread across different locations, which makes it easy to build your own route through the town and let children choose what to stop for.
