The Rossendale 60s Festival is now in its 11th year and has become the biggest annual event in the Rossendale Valley. The ethos behind the Festival is to have the community at its focus, providing opportunities for community groups, local talent and businesses to benefit directly by getting involved in the Festival and to bring the Rossendale community together under the popular and common theme of the 60s. Typically the Festival consists of over 40 individual venues staging 60s themed events in pubs, clubs and other venues throughout the Valley, all offering a taste of the 60s through music, food, culture and fashion.
Last year a new event ‘Sixties On The Square’ was introduce on the town square in Rawtenstall and it was an unbelievable success. Its objectives were to create an event that will embrace the 60s vibe and underline what is important to our great Rossendale community. To that end the organisers invited local community groups, charities and national organisations to take up a stall on Rawtenstall Town Square with the aim of providing opportunities to raise their profile with the community and other groups, fundraise and recruit. The response was amazing with over 25 organisations represented. The organisers restricted the event to not having any food and drink outlets to boost sales for local businesses. This appeared to be effective as many businesses reported much increased turnover. The organisers invited local talent to perform at the event and all were praised by those attending as being exceptional.
This year, in addition to those faithful individual venues that provide the 60s vibe through their events throughout the Valley, organisers Pete Sweetmore, Barry Hyde and Tony Nixon are planning to develop the Sixties On The Square event to be held on Saturday 7th September 2024 to include even more attractions. Rossendale Radio will again host the event, and in addition to over 20 stalls already booked featuring local community groups and organisation, there will be a funfair and a full programme of music from local bands, choirs and individuals, ( to be announced).
The organisers have also announced a very special headline act this year. The original 60s band ‘The Easybeats’. They sent a message to the organisers saying “ The band is really looking forward to the Rossendale 60s Festival in September. We only usually get to play outdoor festivals in Europe, so with all the guys in the band being Northwest based it will be really local for us and that rarely happens these days. See you all there. Steve”
There will also be a ‘Ride In’ consisting of a number of vintage VWs and Scooters riding through the Valley and ending on the Town Square. We also have Helen Bingley OBE DL JP, The High Sheriff of Lancashire and The Mayor of Rossendale attending, who will be helping judging this years 60s Fancy Dress Competition
This year’s Gin N Trek event, run to raise funds for the Rossendale Hospice, will be visiting the Sixties On The Square event as part of the Trek
There will be a Vintage Fair in Rawtenstall Unitarian Church on Bank Street hosted by So Retro
There is also a Northern Soul event happening at the Sunnybank Social Club in Helmshore on Saturday 7th September
The ever popular Window Dressing Competition will also return, with Shops and Businesses dressing their windows “60s style” creating a great 60s vibe around the Valley.
The festival has had amazing support already from Rossendale Borough Council and a number of local businesses in providing funding to allow the organisers to expand and develop the festival. They include Dansworks Dance Academy of Performing Arts CIC, David Gould Opticians, Interfloor, Orthoplastics, Althams Travel, So Retro and David Reader. The organisers are still looking for sponsors to support the festival, so if you are interested, please contact Pete Sweetmore at 07963 322966 or email petesweetmore@hotmail.co.uk
A full programme of all venues, events and attractions included in this years Festival is currently being put together and will be available online nearer the event.
Rossendale 60s Festival 2024 