Lottery Winners and Heather Small first headliners for Rochdale Feel Good Festival

Chart topping indie pop band Lottery Winners and Heather Small, the voice of M People, are the first two headliners announced for this year’s Rochdale Feel Good Festival.

This summer the main stage returns to its usual location on Rochdale Town Hall Square on Saturday 10 August, after a five-year absence, along with live music across indoor venues, a quality food and drink village and other entertainment.

Lottery Winners third album ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’ became the band’s first number one last year, followed by a sold-out UK tour, appearances at some of the country’s biggest festivals, a huge arena tour supporting Rick Astley and a sold-out show at Manchester Apollo this January. The band comprise front man Thom Rylance, Katie Lloyd on bass, Joe Singleton on drums with the melodies of Rob Lally. It will be the Leigh four piece’s second appearance at Rochdale Feel Good Festival, having played the main stage in 2014.

Multi award-winning Heather Small achieved worldwide success both as a solo artist and the voice of Brit and Mercury Award winning dance act M People, well known for a stack of hits including Moving On Up, One Night in Heaven, Renaissance, How Can I Love You More? and Sight for Sore Eyes. The powerhouse soul singer who has sold millions of records, enjoying 19 top 40 singles, three top five albums, including Elegant Slumming, Bizarre Fruit and her debut solo single, Proud, comes to the festival for the first time.

Lots more acts are to be announced, including a major platinum-selling UK indie rock band, and a local battle of the bands winner.

Early bird tickets are now sold out, but general sale tickets were released last week (£15) at rochdale.gov.uk/feelgoodfestival or in person at Middleton Arena.

For the first time, to cut single use plastic, all tickets include a Rochdale Feel Good Festival re-usable drink cup to be collected upon arrival at the festival site. 

Julie Murphy, director of corporate services at Rochdale Borough Council said: “The return of Rochdale Feel Good Festival is eagerly awaited by thousands of residents and visitors, with all early bird tickets snapped up before any line-up news was revealed. It’s great to secure the return of Lottery Winners, who are becoming one of the UK’s biggest and best live acts and Heather Small has one of the most recognisable voices in British pop.”