by

Food Vendor Application Form

We are now taking food vendor applications for the Wigan Diggers’ festival 2021 (11th September 2021).
Our festival is run completely by volunteers and attracts around 5000 visitors throughout the day.
We love to make sure that everyone involved in the festival is treated well, so we like to have a chat with you about a fair fee for your stall.
If you would like to trade at this year’s festival, then please fill in the form by clicking the link below with as much detail as possible, and we will contact you about arrangements.

Food Vendor application Form

You must have your own public liability insurance, power/food heating supply and food hygiene certification. We also do not allow generators on site.

by

More Volunteers still needed!

We’ve had a good response to our previous appeal for volunteers to help out for 4 hours or more over the weekend of Saturday 11th September, not only on the day of the festival itself, but also on Friday the 10th to help prepare the festival site, and on Sunday the 12th to help clear up the site. That said, we still need a fair few more on the day of the festival to ensure its smoothing running, so can you help us? If so, please fill in our Wigan Diggers’ Festival Volunteer Application Form and let us know as soon as you can. Ta.

by

2025 Festival Stall Application Form

For those of you who have been waiting, here it is, this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival Stall Application Form. Just click the linked text and fill the form in online, you must be signed in to your Google account to access the form online.

by

Volunteers

Volunteers wanted for this year’s festival

We are looking for volunteers to help out with this year’s festival on the 11th September 2021, we need people to help build the festival site on the Friday and take it all down again on the Sunday, we really could do with some extra help doing this, it’s a big job, and we need some lovely people to help us out.

Also, on the day itself we need volunteers for various jobs, everything from working behind the bar, help with stewarding the festival site, collecting rubbish throughout the day or helping behind the stage. Hours would be to suit you on the day.

Any help would be really appreciated, please email us via wigandiggers@gmail.com

Please include your full name and contact details, so we can get back to you by email or phone if needed.

Thank you,

Wigan Diggers’ Committee.

by

Wigan Diggers’ Festival 11th September 2021

Due to last year’s festival being postponed because of the situation with Covid, we hope you will help us make the 10th Wigan Diggers’ Festival this year, one to remember. Full details of line-up etc to follow shortly. Stay safe people and we hope to see you all at this year’s festival, it’s going to be a cracker.

Here’s a memory from 2019’s headliners ‘The Men They Couldn’t Hang‘, with the wonderful Joe Solo joining them on stage, sadly we lost guitarist and vocalist Stefan Cush earlier this year, he will be greatly missed and he will always live on in our hearts and in his music…

by

10th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – Saturday 12th September 2020

PUT THE DATE DOWN IN YOUR DIARY NOW!

10thWDFPoster

Here, earlier than usual are the details of everyone who will be performing at this year’s landmark 10th Diggers’ Festival. Topping the bill are festival favourites Merry Hell who will be complemented by an excellent line up of acts including Headsticks, Joe Solo, Ukepunk, the Corrie Shelley Band, Barnstormer 1649, Bard Company, Brandon Lee Webb Band, Bathtub Gin Band, Rare Ould Times, Jimmy Andrex, Hadrian’s Union, The Quaintest Show on Earth, Lesley Dawson-Heath, Simon Williams, Jethro Platts, and Isaac Hughes-Dennis. Let’s also not forget Wigan’s own True Levellers Community Samba Band. Come and join us – it’s FREE to attend and always a great do!

The details of the various fringe events, including talks in Wigan Parish Church are yet to be finalised and will be advertised in due course.

Please share our Facebook page with your friends and let us know your coming at: https://www.facebook.com/events/465445411071592/

by

Calling All Ye Noble Diggers! The Forecast’s Great – See You on Saturday!

WDF9Weather

Come and join on Saturday for the biggest and best annual get together of North West Trades Unionists, Socialists and other radicals from across the Left at this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival. The FREE all day event starts at 11.30am at our usual Wiend venue in Wigan town centre with a symbolic re-enactment of the digging undertaken by Gerrard Winstanley and his companions at St. George’s Hill, near Weybridge in Surrey in 1649, in which the Wigan born radical outlines his views on the common ownership of land and conception of the world as a “common treasury for all”.

Festival goers can expect not only some decent weather, as you can see from today’s BBC Forecast, but a day crammed packed with stuff to suit everyone including live music and poetry across two stages, more than 50 stalls, British and Caribbean, vegan and conventional catering, plus an excellent choice of real ales, fruit beers, traditional ciders and award winning lagers.

GFTU General Secretary Doug Nicholls will also be giving a talk in the Parish Church from 12.30pm to 2.00pm on “The Wisdom of Winstanley’s Words”

WDF9SiteMap

WDF9RunningOrder

9th Wigan Diggers’ Festival Running Order.

by

Wigan Digger’s Bolton Bash – See You There!

See you at Wigan Diggers’ annual warm up bash in Bolton on Saturday 27th July at the Socialist Club, Wood Street. Starts at 3.30pm.

Bolton Diggers' T-shirt

Six hours of music and poetry and getting together to commemorate Gerrard Winstanley and the 17th Century Diggers’ movement ready for the big do in Wigan on 7th September.

Once again, there is a great line-up of performers providing the entertainment, some who have played before, but lots of new singers, songwriters and poets who are making their first appearance at the Socialist club!

Line-up (in no particular order – times to be arranged) – Pauline Blackburn – Jonny Low – The Blazing Snowmen – Eva Curless – Lawrence Hoy – Tony Easom – Simon Williams – Ibby just Ibby – Stew Simpson – Mugshot Alley (Ian Livesey & Martin Green) – Stephen Gall – GJ Armstrong – Ryan Lewis Walker – with MCs & hosts Gordon Zola, Tony Kinsella & Jeffarama!

The event is free to attend, however, there will be a raffle and collection. There will also be a few stalls and some food, see you up there! Diggers Unite!

by

9th Diggers’ Festival Line Up Announced

THE MEN THEY COULD’NT HANG top the bill at this year’s 9th Annual FREE festival.

Also on the main stage during the day are festival favourites Attila The Stockbroker and Wigan’s very own John The Baptist & The Second Coming.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kicking off the music on the main stage at 12.00 noon, immediately after our symbolic Digging Re-enactment in Gerrard Winstanley Gardens (accompanied by the Bolton Clarion Choir) are the excellent Harp and a Monkey. Check out the full running order below:

WIGAN DIGGERS’ FESTIVAL BOOKING A STALL

If you or your organisation would like to book a stall at this year’s festival, then please download our STALL APPLICATION FORM, fill it in and return it to us A.S.A.P.

As we work on a first come first served basis, and space is limited, in order to avoid any possible disappointment we suggest the earlier you can do it the better.

NEW FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Help us promote our festival by speaking to your friends, family and workmates and encouraging them to come along. The feedback is always great. GREAT MUSIC – GREAT CROWD – GREAT FOOD – GREAT BEER – GREAT CAUSE,

You might also consider sharing our new facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/460033934737521/ on your own timeline and inviting your FB friends to attend.