The third annual Middlewood Locks Fest will take place on Saturday, July 4, from 3pm to 10pm at Middlewood Locks in Salford, offering a free, family-friendly canalside festival as part of Salford’s centenary celebrations and the 10th anniversary of Middlewood Locks.
Event Highlights and Activities
Attendees can enjoy live music, colourful parades, children’s workshops, a makers market, water activities, street food vendors, and a light and fire display at night. A key highlight is the Wagon Train, a pop-up mobile festival commissioned by Salford City Council and produced by Walk the Plank, featuring music, poetry, play space, karaoke, and talent competitions.
Live entertainment includes a high-energy parade from Batala Afro-Brazilian percussion act, a DJ set by internationally acclaimed recording artist Oojami blending Turkish and Eastern melodies with modern beats, and indie-folk duo Honest Michael. Salford’s Barton Belles community choir will perform a cappella and choral pieces spanning pop, Motown, jazz, and folk.
Community and Heritage Focus
The makers market will showcase local artisans selling jewellery, plants, artwork, clothes, and produce. Food and drink options from local vendors, along with face-painting, hook-a-duck, and arts and crafts, will be available. On-the-water fun includes rafted canoe trips and a sunset light and fire installation with the ‘Spark Drummers’ concluding the event at 10pm.
The festival is sponsored by Scarborough Group International, joint venture partners Metro Holdings PLC, and Get Living. It is produced in collaboration with Walk the Plank and supported by Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society and Canal & River Trust, with funding from GMCA.
Quotes from Organisers
Nicola Wallis, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Scarborough Group International, said: “We are delighted to be hosting our third annual Middlewood Locks Fest next month, which also coincides with our 10th anniversary. We are also thrilled to play a key part in the wider Salford centenary celebrations. Middlewood Locks Fest has become a very popular event for the local community, with an inclusive programme of events which caters for everyone.”
Bethany Skeels at Get Living said: “Middlewood Locks Fest is a brilliant example of the energy and community spirit that make this neighbourhood so special. We’re pleased to be supporting the festival once again and helping to create a day that brings residents, visitors and local businesses together.”
Paul Hindle of Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society said: “By opening up the waterside for leisure, activity and shared experiences, Middlewood Locks Fest helps reconnect the community with this important piece of local heritage.”
Ben Turner at Walk the Plank said: “This year, we’re bringing even more life to the canal with a bigger event programme which invites people of all ages to get involved.”
