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Page 6 July 2026 AD SALES 01204 478812 Thousands turn out to enjoy the music ROX ON A ROLL! PICTURE SPECIAL AROUND 7,000 people descended on the town as Horwich Rox returned for its second year. The day-long event brought live music, stalls and family entertainment toWinter Hey Lane and venues across the town. Organised by Horwich & Blackrod Community Events, the festival built on last year’s success with a daytime street festival featuring two stages. An acoustic stage at the top of Win- ter Hey Lane showcased local choirs, while a main stage at the opposite end of the road hosted performances from local bands and music schools. Visitors were also able to browse a variety of stalls selling items ranging from candles to dog treats, while a silent disco added to the entertain- ment on offer. As the daytime event drew to a close, themusic continued into the evening in local cafés and bars. With more than 75 acts performing across 20 venues, organisers said the event offered some- thing for everyone. Victoria Rigby, one of the directors of Horwich & Blackrod Community Events, said: “It was another fantastic day and it was great to see local busi- nesses succeed as a result. “We brought live music to our town and showcased just how much talent we have locally. Next year is going to be slightly different, with our group stepping away from the evening part of the festival. However, we have plenty of plans already in motion, so watch this space.” She added: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the people and companies that helped make this event a success. “Horwich Town Council for sup- porting our events by providing vital funding, CDS for providing the stages, sound engineers and a silent disco, Phil Grimshaw for being an incredible MC throughout the day and keeping everybody engaged, J Dickinson & Sons for providing waste clearance and Henry Lisowski, Kit Carmen and Ian Aldcroft for photographing the event. “Of course, our biggest thank you has to go to our incredibly dedicated volunteers who worked from 7.30am until the end of the day – we literally would not be able to do what we do without them.” Horwich & Blackrod Community Events is a not-for-profit community interest company that delivers free events in both towns throughout the year. Horwich Rox marks the first event in its 2026 programme, with several more dates already confirmed. Upcoming events include the Festi- val of Horwich on August 30 and the Festival of Blackrod on September 12. Anyone interested in taking part in future events, including perform- ers and stallholders, can message the group on Facebook or email Horwich. blackrod.events@gmail.com. Photographs by Henry Lisowski ● More pictures pages 7, 8&9