Stockport named as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture 2023

The town of Stockport, home to Strawberry Studios, the band Blossoms and the Hatters, has today been revealed as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture 2023, securing £50,000 to support arts and creativity in the borough.

Local stars including Mercury nominees Blossoms and Stockport County’s Macauley Southam-Hales joined Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Stockport Council Leader Cllr Mark Hunter, and representatives from across the town’s cultural scene for the announcement at the Hat Works earlier today (Tuesday, May 23).

The town’s bid was centred around the One Stockport vision to support the local economy, connect communities and promote health and wellbeing. It will be underpinned by four key elements that celebrate arts and creativity, as well as the town’s diverse cultural heritage: Stockport Makes, Stockport Moves, Stockport Sounds and Stockport Tastes.

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The town follows in the footsteps of Stalybridge, which held the title in 2022, and Bury, which was announced as Greater Manchester’s inaugural Town of Culture for 2020 and held the title through 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic put a number of events and activities on hold.

Taking to the floor at Stockport's Hat Works, which is currently being refurbished, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham told the audience: "I've felt the cultural power of Stockport, and I came to your biggest cultural event in 2019, Edgeley Park,