Sun set to shine on hotly anticipated Briercliffe Festival

Thousands of people are expected to attend this year's gala, which is taking place on Queen Street recreation ground on Saturday.

All the fun starts at 11am when crowds will gather in the Hare and Hounds car park ahead of the 11-30am float procession.

The festival will open at noon with a host of attractions planned to keep visitors entertained throughout the day.

As well as a licensed beer tent, there will be a fun fair, craft stalls, a dog agility show, a birds of prey show, and plenty more.Live music will come from Skafull, Birdhouse and Rakish Paddy, while DJ Kev Riley will finish the evening off with a rousing Retro set.

Liam Kilbride, one of the organisers, said rising costs had made things difficult, but the festival would remain affordable for families.

"This is a local event, for local people, and the prices will always reflect that," he said. "Last year's event was all a bit last minute, because we were coming out of the pandemic; but this year we've had a lot more time to organise everything.

"The procession is going to be fantastic. We’ve got the Mayor of Burnley, characters from Paw Patrol, and Bertie Bee; some of the floats are incredible. And the festival itself – we really do have something for everyone; it’s going to be a great day, and it looks like we’re going to get the weather, too. It’s not just for the people of Briercliffe either, we want the whole town to come along and enjoy what’s on offer.

“I’d like to thank all our sponsors, and my fellow organisers, Brad and Ju, for all their help. Also, the three pubs, Hare and Hounds, The Commercial, and the Craven, for their support, as well as the Village Store and Spar for allowing us to distribute tickets there

"This year, we’ll be raising money for Briercliffe Football Club. It’s tough for grassroots football at the minute, so hopefully we can raise a bit of money for them.”

Tickets for Briercliffe Festival, priced at £5, are available from Spar, the Village Store, and the three pubs. Under 16s go free and don’t need a ticket.