Oldham’s Alexandra Park is set to come alive this weekend as the Open Call Festival returns with two days of live entertainment and family fun.
Taking place on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, the annual event has increased to two days and will feature live music, funfair rides, street food and children’s meet-and-greets with characters such as Bluey, Spider-Man and Toy Story.
It will also include performances throughout the day by nasheed artists, including Milad Raza Qadri and local artist Prince Naseeb Abbas.
A spokesperson said: “The festival was started in 2014, with the goal of celebrating in a safe and inclusive environment.
“The Open Call has always championed local talent; we pride ourselves on using local stallholders and suppliers, from our medical team to the people who provide the marquees.”
Entry is free with a suggested donation of £1.
This year, they will continue to work alongside Greengate Trust, a registered charity in Oldham since 2017, and will be accepting suggested donations to “go back into community projects”.
While Greengate Trust has worked closely with the Open Call Festival since 2023, this year they will be focused on advertising their local charity projects during the community event.
Their work is focused on the North, particularly the Lancaster and Yorkshire areas. The donated money will be used to support Oldham, working with local food banks.
They are actively encouraging donations and will be showing videos of their work during a sponsor slot, which will include feedback from the charities they’ve worked with, such as women affected by domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness.
The charity will use the money to create ‘at-home parcels’ which include food parcels and essential winter kits. Their website includes a list of items such as basic hygiene products and baby products to support mothers with children.
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A spokesperson from Greengate Trust said: “In previous years, we never really explained what the charity does, and we wanted to show how these donations will be used to support the community.”
The festival comes as Oldham continues to celebrate its growing cultural programme following its award as the Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2026 to 2027, with events across the borough aiming to showcase the vibrancy of the community and to bring people together.
The event will be running from 12pm to 6pm on both days and is expected to attract around 2,000 visitors per day to Alexandra Park.
The festival organisers said they hope this year’s event will be the biggest yet, offering something for all ages while raising money to support people in the community.
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