Category Archives: 5th Wigan Diggers’ Festival

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Don’t Miss These Must-See Performers At This Year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival – 12th September 2026

Believe Square, The Weind Wigan, Next to the John Bull Chop House Pub

MAIN STAGE

Headliner – Shanghai Treason
McHale’s Permanent Brew
Bard Company
Double Yellows
Fine Lines
More Than Words
Mora and the Fab Wonders
Maddy Carty
Reformers of Peterloo

SONG AND STORY STAGE

Headliner – Joe Solo
Sally Pepper
Just Fran
Doug Livesy
Road to Poppyville
Samba Band (on square)
Captain of the Lost Waves
Brother Bastion

Festival opens at 11am, there’s a Diggers’ Re-enactment at 11.15am to 11.45am, followed by the main stage festival opening at 11.45am to12pm.

This is a non-profit-making FREE festival, please buy some merch and use our bar, this helps us to keep the festival free, and without your help, we will struggle to put the event on next year, THANK YOU for your continued support…

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Peterloo in Rock

Thank you all you lovely people for supporting this year’s Wigan Digger’s Festival, it was a great day, many thanks to all the volunteers who spared some of their time to help out on the day, you are all greatly appreciated.

Below is the next event we are putting on, in partnership with the Reformers of Peterloo,

Tickets are now on sale for the ‘Peterloo in Rock Musical‘
Date: Saturday15th November 2025
Time: 8pm until 11pm (Doors 7.30pm)
Place: Sunshine House Community Hub
Wigan
WN1 3SA
We hope to see you there, thanks.

Ticket link below,

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/reformers-of-peterloo

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FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL – WIGAN DIGGERS FESTIVAL 2025

Gerrard Winstanley Gardens, Wigan Town Centre
Saturday, 13th September 2025
11am until 930pm – Free Entry!

10.30am – Wigan True Levellers Samba Band will parade up Standishgate, up to the Moon on the Water

11.00am – Samba Band will make their way up the Wiend with the Diggers re-enactment group, on to believe Square to entertain the crowd.

11.15am – Diggers re-enactment

11.30am – Bolton Clarion Choir will sing a few songs commemorating Gerrard Winstanley and the Diggers movement

11.50am – Official festival opening

12.00 Noon – First band on stage

Join us for the Wigan Diggers Festival – a day of live music, entertainment, poetry, stalls, speakers, and community spirit – all in celebration of the ideas and life of Gerrard Winstanley, Wigan’s own 17th-century Digger and social reformer.

What to Expect:
* Brilliant live bands & performers
* Inspiring guest speakers & history talks at Wigan Museum
* Diggers Bar, Diggers Merchandise, Food & drink stalls
* Community & campaign stalls
* Family-friendly activities & entertainment

Whether you’re passionate about social justice, a music lover, or just looking for a great day out, Wigan Diggers Festival 2025 is the place to be.

Spread the word! Invite your mates and let’s make it a day to remember!

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Wigan Diggers’ Festival 2024 Artists Announcement

We are pleased to announce this year’s festival headliners, ‘the Wakes’, who will top a great line-up of bands on the 7th September 2024. Check them out on the link below

https://youtu.be/Ak7CGlWjkP8?si=e2wua4cQxLJXU2QD

Here is the full festival line-up,

Main Stage

The Wakes (headliners)
Mutant Proof
Run Out The Guns
Amber List
Golden Spade Award Presentation
Green Man Rising
Wigan True Levellers Samba Band (Main Square)
Joe Solo
The Quaintest Show on Earth
Vision Thing

Song and Story Stage

Cobalt Tales
Rooster Rebellion
Glass Child
Thomas Raven
Tom George
Janine Booth
James J Turner
Brother Bastion

We look forward to seeing you there, please support the festival by purchasing drinks from our bar on site, and checking out our festival t-shirts and other merch from our merch stall, near the festival HQ.
As always, the festival is run by volunteers and all the profits from the festival go back into funding next year’s festival, none of the committee members who run it get paid in any way.
We want to thank anyone who has already said they can spare a few hours on the day, to volunteer in one of the many roles available, a volunteer form will be added on our Facebook pages, and one on this website very soon, keep your eye out for it.

Have a great 2024 Wigan Diggers’ Festival,
Wigan Diggers’ Committee.

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Wigan Diggers Festival 7th September 2024

This year’s festival is on the Saturday the 7th September 2024, full details of bands and will be available shortly, stall applications will be accepted using the link in the menu, and it’s also available on our Facebook pages. To fill the online form in, you must be logged in to your Google account or create one, and then log in and use the link provided in the menu on the left

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Wigan Diggers Community Garden and Young Diggers Project

Wigan Diggers are looking for interested individuals, groups, and organisations to help us to develop a community garden in the spirit of Gerrard Winstanley, and to provide an area of our town that is a common treasury for all!

The Diggers have been granted the use of an area of land next to Sunshine House in Scholes, which is approximately 150 feet long by 25 feet wide, and is currently being cleared in order to allow its use as a community garden. Additionally, we have been gifted a small, but not inconsiderable amount of money to kick-start the project.

The plan is to establish a garden that allows young people to engage in gardening with a purpose, and for the common benefit.

The area provided does offer the opportunity to devote some area to growing produce, to grow decorative plants, and possibly an area for rest and contemplation. However, at this stage, we have no firm plans, and therefore we are inviting anyone with an interest in promoting collective gardening among young people, to join us at a meeting at Sunshine House on Sunday April 7th at 1.30, with the meeting scheduled to last until 4pm. There will be a break for coffee and tea. Anyone with the wish to get involved and with ideas as to how they can contribute, or ideas as to how the project can develop will be made welcome, and their input welcomed and valued.

We hope to see YOU there (or a member of your organisation) – either just come along – or email WiganDiggers@gmail.com with the names of potential attendees and any ideas that you would like to put forward.

Please note that at this stage, we are looking for voluntary help.

Thank you,
Wigan Diggers Committee.

Sunshine House is located on Wellington Street (off Vauxhall Road) in Scholes, WN1 3SA, just outside the Town Centre. There is ample free parking next to Sunshine House or on the road outside.