Organisers celebrate another ‘incredible’ Burnley Live weekend

Now firmly established as one of Burnley’s biggest social events, the four-day festival once again transformed venues, streets and beer gardens into stages for live music, DJs and entertainment.

Adam Wolski-Brown, who runs Mojitos with his wife Brooklyn, said the success of the weekend was down to a collective effort.

“The weekend was fantastic again. Great to see lots of new faces and old ones too,” he said. “It still astounds me to this day how three independent backstreet pubs can create something that’s becoming more and more renowned throughout the county, never mind the town.

“We don’t get discounts, we don’t get handouts. We pay everybody in full; it’s paid for by the people in the community coming out, enjoying themselves and having a great time.

“So thank you to everyone involved: Daryll at Lancashire PA, all the security, staff, bars, Gaz’s Marquees and all the bands. We’re already looking forward to planning next year’s.”

This year’s event saw more than 20 venues take part, with a packed programme ranging from acoustic sets and tribute acts to karaoke and club nights. A headline main stage on Ormerod Street, sponsored by Prospect Homes, also returned, showcasing a line-up of local bands across the weekend.

Helen Lougheed, of Smackwater Jack’s, said she was proud to be involved for the first time as part of the organising group.

“I’m really proud that Smacks has been part of the team this year, working on bringing the main stage to Ormerod Street,” she said. “All three bars working together have created something amazing.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in 2027, which is Smacks’ 50th anniversary year.

“My thanks go to everyone involved, but especially to Adam and Madge for being such a driving force in making Burnley Live an event that brings people in from all over the North West and puts the town on the map as somewhere worth visiting.”

Madge Nawaz, who runs Remedy with Gaz Ali and is one of the event’s key organisers, echoed those sentiments while highlighting the wider impact on the town.

“I’d also like to say thank you to Jason, Laura from Burnley BID, Discover Burnley, Burnley Radio, and all the fantastic work Kev and Zak Furber do,” he said. “Not forgetting our staff who work extremely hard over the full weekend.

“Events like this increase footfall and are very good for the town. It’s about teamwork and working together.

“Thank you to our main stage sponsor Prospect Homes. We’re now looking for more sponsors for 2027 to make it even bigger and better for the year of culture.”

Burnley Business Improvement District (BID) project manager Jason Cothliff said the event continues to grow year on year.

“Burnley Live 2026 was a huge success and we’re incredibly proud of what’s been achieved,” he said. “This event continues to go from strength to strength, with more venues, more acts and bigger audiences than ever before.

“It’s been brilliant to see so many people out supporting local talent and enjoying everything Burnley has to offer.

“Events like Burnley Live play a vital role in driving footfall, supporting our hospitality and retail sectors and creating a real buzz across the town.”