Oldham Histories Festival returns from 11 to 20 September 2026 with its largest programme yet — and it is an invitation to look again at the places, people and everyday stories that made our borough.
Across ten days, venues and community partners throughout Oldham will host walks, talks, tours, exhibitions and open days. Most activities are free and drop-in, although a few of the smaller tours need advance booking.
That makes this one of those rare local festivals where curiosity is the only thing you really need to bring. You do not have to be a historian. You simply have to wonder: who worked here, what changed here, and what can the past teach us about where Oldham goes next?
Ten days of Oldham stories hiding in plain sight
Oldham’s story is not confined to a display case. It lives in its mills, town halls, archives, photographs and landscapes — and, above all, in the experiences of ordinary people.
This year’s Heritage Open Days theme is Everyday Histories, and the Oldham programme makes that idea feel wonderfully real. It brings attention to working lives, familiar streets, treasured collections and the natural world around the town and its countryside.
The festival also arrives during Oldham’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, giving local people another reason to take pride in the borough and offering visitors a useful starting point for discovering it.
Five Oldham Histories Festival highlights
Everyday Histories at Gallery Oldham — Monday 14 September
At this free, drop-in curator talk, visitors can hear stories connected with workers from Platt Brothers & Co Ltd, Ferranti and Oldham’s cotton mills.
It runs from 2pm to 3pm at Gallery Oldham on Greaves Street, close to Oldham Central tram stop. Advance booking is not required.
Gallery Oldham tours — Wednesday 16 September
The Art Store Guided Tour offers a rare look behind doors that are normally closed and explains how art collections are cared for. This particular tour requires advance booking.
On the same day, the free Our Beautiful Oldham curator talk explores the plants and animals found across the borough’s town centre and surrounding countryside. That session runs from 2pm to 3pm and does not require advance booking.
Step Back in Time at Chadderton Town Hall — Thursday 17 September
Chadderton Historical Society will share displays about the town hall, the former Chadderton Urban District Council, jobs through the decades and well-known local figures.
The open day runs from 11am to 3pm, with no advance booking required.
Oldham Panorama — Friday 18 September
A free Gallery Oldham session will explore the panoramic photographs made by Squire Knott in 1876.
One hundred and fifty years later, the images offer a striking way to consider Oldham’s industrial landscape and the extraordinary pace of change.
The talk runs from 11am until midday and is a drop-in event.
Making History at Oldham Archives — Saturday 19 September
This behind-the-scenes visit introduces the work of Oldham Archives and explains how its collections are cared for.
Places are limited to 15, so this is one to book in advance rather than leave to chance. The session runs from 11am until midday at Oldham Archives, The Loom, Ascroft Street.
Why local history matters now
History is not about pretending everything was better before. It is about understanding what people built, what they endured, what they changed and what they passed on.
When a place understands its story, it can move forward with greater confidence.
The old industries may have changed, but the qualities behind them — skill, determination, imagination and community — still belong to Oldham.
A festival like this can start with one photograph or one doorway and lead to something bigger: a conversation between generations, a new appreciation for a familiar street, or a young person’s first sense that their own life will become part of the borough’s story too.
Plan your visit
The official Oldham programme says most events are free and drop-in, but some require booking. Details can change, so check the organiser’s listing before travelling.
Oldham Histories Festival and Heritage Open Days:
https://whatson.oldham.gov.uk/event/oldham-histories-festival-heritage-open-days/
Heritage Open Days events in Oldham:
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/whats-on/printable-area-lists/oldham.html
Choose one event that catches your eye and put it in the diary. Small decisions create memorable days — and the most interesting journeys often begin close to home.
Keep Oldham’s conversation going with Nifty UK Radio
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By Elizabeth Douglass
Nifty UK Radio
