The fabulous Cotton Clouds music festival was held in Saddleworth in 2017, 2018, 2019. Currently there are no plans for any further Cotton Clouds events, which is a huge shame, and a great loss for Saddleworth. I’ve kept this page up on the off-chance that the festival is resurrected, and will update it if anything exciting happens.
UPDATE: An article published in the Oldham Evening Chronicle in October 2019 suggested that there might be hope for Cotton Clouds 2020! Fingers crossed…
UPDATE: Any hopes for 2020 were dashed by COVID19. We wait hopefully for news on CCF22/23/24…..
After the massive success of their first event in 2017, the locally organized independent music festival returned for two days of music, sunshine and all-round loveliness at the Saddleworth Cricket club in Greenfield in 2018, the festival really found its feet in 2019.
There are three separate stages, The Main stage, the Tim Peakes Diner and the Spinning Room where you can catch hip hop, funk, soul, r&b and dance.
Look back to CCF19
Headlining the Friday on the Main stage were Peter Hook and the Light (as in Peter Hook from Joy Division and New Order!), joined by the amazing Ash, Alabama 3 and a whole heap of other awesome acts, including Callow Youth.
Reverend and the Makers performed on the Main Stage on the Saturday, the day also featured performances by Tim Burgess  (from The Charlatans who also performed at Glastonbury in 2019) and many more cracking bands including the Dirty Laces.
Headlining the Saturday was The Wailers, as in Bob Marley’s Wailers! Have you ever imagined in your life that you’d get the chance to see the Wailers live? In Greenfield of all places!?! They brought a lot of much-needed love and joy to Saddleworth and supported an amazing singalong.
What a lineup!
Head to the official Cotton Clouds Website for more details.
The weather was wonderful in 2017, it wasn’t great in 2018, and in 2019 it was a bit of both.
But regardless of the weather, Cotton Clouds is a fabulous place to be. Â How lucky are we that such an incredible festival is being held in such a wonderful location, and it is a beautiful venue.
Expect amazing music, fabulous entertainment and an array of street food and real ales on offer to suit all tastes including the official Cotton Clouds ice cream prepared by local ice cream makers Grandpa Greene’s and the unique Cotton Clouds Ale – a beer specifically designed to celebrate the festival by Greenfield’s own Donkeystone brewery.
The carnival parade is a highlight of the weekend and is performed by a local art group called Global Grooves. Expect a parade of performers, Â Brazilian drumming and some crazy illuminated characters. In 2018 there were fire-breathing dragons leading the way!
There will also be kids activities available on the Saturday including the awesome “Boom Ting”, which is a fun and friendly music and singing workshop for young children. There will arts and crafts activities too.
In 2019 the festival timings were:
Friday  5:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday  12:00pm – 10:00pm
The address is:
Saddleworth Cricket Club,
Well-i-Hole,
Greenfield,
Saddleworth
Oldham,
Lancashire
OL3 7HY
More information and up to date details of the festival can be found at the Cotton Clouds website and facebook page.
If you’ve never been before then be warned,  Saddleworth cricket club (or the whole of Saddleworth for that matter) is not blessed with parking, and you’d be advised to travel to Greenfield by train, the station is a mere 15-minute walk away. Trains run regularly to Greenfield from Manchester and Yorkshire.
Though if you fancy it, there is an absolutely fantastic campsite called Well-i-hole Farm in a beautiful setting, literally next door to the festival site. The farm can cater for tents, motorhomes, trailer tents and caravans. For more information visit their website.
If you are going, have an absolutely fabulous weekend at this incredible independent festival! It just gets better every year, IÂ wish I could be there.
Cheers and Donkeystone beers
Cliff
Click here to see a list of the events and festivals going on in 2022 in Saddleworth.
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