Have a Stockport-acular Christmas!

Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday to bring festive extravaganza to town centre with over 200 performers and more than 50 free shows

Stockport is launching Christmas this month with Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday, a festive celebration with over 50 free shows and more than 200 extraordinary performers taking over the town’s popular streets.

Set to take place on Sunday 17^th November from 11am – 5pm, this one-day celebration promises a magical experience for all ages, filled with mesmerising street theatre, live music, and vibrant performances.

Returning for a second year, the celebrations have been organised by Stockport Council, Totally Stockport, Merseyway and Stockport Market, and will return with a brand-new line up for 2024 produced by visual arts and carnival organisation, Global Grooves.

With entertainment on every corner of Stockport, visitors can enjoy an array of shows and performances at a variety of locations, including Merseyway Shopping Centre, Suffragette Square, The Underbanks, Market Place and Warren Street. Stockport Air Raid Shelters, Stockport Museum and Staircase House will also be open from 11am – 4pm too, ensuring there’s something for everyone on this magical day out.

Guaranteeing entertainment for the whole family, Merseyway will be providing a winter wonderland experience, where visitors will discover an enchanting Living Snow Globe, Roller Skating Presents, the cheeky National Elf Service and giant Jacks of Frost. Carlos Airhead’s balloon antics, comedy duo, Grumpy Grandads and hilarious Rocket Man, Elton Wrong are sure to keep everyone laughing, while the holiday atmosphere will be set with seasonal tunes from live brass bands, local performers and festive musicians.

For a truly unique Christmas adventure, Market Place welcomes ARTIZANI Desert Island Discs, where a giant 20-foot inflatable lobster and tropical storyline promises laughs for all ages. The Walkabout Penguins will also be spreading festive fun with their clumsy, lovable antics, while Juba de Leão, a vibrant drum and dance collective, will bring the rhythm of Christmas to life.

Across The Underbanks, the hilarious Spurting People will select ten lucky audience members, ready to be transformed into human fountains! John Hicks will be creating live, iconic portraits on towering canvases in mere minutes, while Dizzee Brascals will make the festive energy sore across Little Underbank with explosive beats. Under St Petersgate Bridge, don’t forget to experience the breathtaking beauty of The Living Dress, a stunning 5m tall installation made of naturally dyed textiles, inviting onlookers to reflect on the harmony between nature and fashion.

Bringing a feast for the eyes, the Culinary Capers will be heading to Warren Street with daring stunts involving everything from flying fruit to balancing baguettes. Plus, a procession takeover will ignite Suffragette Square and Merseyway with an array of carnival colour and walkabout acts, featuring Grooving and Moving Robots, Bustle Sprouts, A Baby T-Rex and his Elf Wrangler, a Hip-Hop Elf Puppet, Giant Christmas Dolls, Star Spirits and lots more. To wrap up, don’t miss the grand finale flash mob from 4.30pm, featuring Stockport’s own “All You Need Is Love” spectacle.

Event Performers and Times*

MERSEYWAY SHOPPING CENTRE

Roller Skating Presents: Eye catching and mesmerising, these extraordinary vintage presents look like they have appeared from nowhere and can disappear again in a flash! With oversized glowing bows, these two will surprise guests with a pirouette and a squeal of excitement.

12pm – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 2pm and 3.30pm – 4pm

National Elf Service: A pair of walkabout cheeky elves bursting with music, magic and merriment.

12pm – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 2pm and 3.30pm – 4pm

Grumpy Grandads: Don’t expect this grumpy pair to spring out of their chairs over the festive season! Catch them complaining about Christmas in Merseyway.

12pm – 12.30pm, 1pm – 1.30pm and 2.30pm – 3pm

Emily Flanagan: Prepare to be captivated as The Voice Kids UK 2022 Finalist, Emily Flanagan, performs live in the shopping centre.

12pm – 4pm

Living Snow Globe: This Living Snow Globe is the only roaming, special effect filled Snow Globe act in the world! A beautifully detailed, illuminated snow globe featuring a mystical Snow Queen, ready to enchant and mesmerise as she mingles with guests of all ages.

12.30pm – 1pm, 2pm – 2.30pm and 3.30pm – 4pm

Carlos Airhead: The metamorphosis of a man and a six-foot balloon in an original comedy show! Carlos Airhead uses a voice-activated vacuum cleaner to inflate a six-foot balloon, which he climbs inside from head to toe. Wearing only brightly coloured lycra shorts and choreographed to music, this 30-minute show is sure to have everyone laughing out loud.

12.30pm – 1pm and 2.45pm – 3.15pm

Ski Band: A theatrical strolling band, catch them singing a lullaby to a baby, busking dubstep to teenagers, or gleefully out-barking a dog- their ability to find the daft and lighten the load is legendary!

12.30pm – 1pm, 2pm – 2.30pm and 3.15pm – 3.45pm

Elton Wrong: Coming to a street near you! See Elton Wrong driving a white piano and belting out classic songs, just like a rocket man! A light-hearted take on the culture of tribute acts and of the great man himself, guests will be laughing like children and living like lovers as Elton brings an instant stadium gig to Stockport.

12.30pm – 1pm, 2pm – 2.30pm and 3pm – 3.30pm

Jacks of Frost: Always up to mischief, this brrrrilliant pair will bring festive cheer to all ages!

1.15pm – 1.45pm and 2.45pm – 3.15pm

Culinary Capers (on Warren Street): Get ready for a feast of wonder as the Culinary Capers head to Warren Street with daring stunts involving everything from flying fruit to balancing baguettes, making this food-themed show truly unmissable.

12.30pm – 1.10pm and 2.30pm – 3.10pm

All You Need Is…A Flash Mob Finale: Join a variety of local performers and musicians as we come together to mark the beginning of the Christmas season with a Flash Mob Finale! Bringing a Stockport rendition of All You Need Is Love, spot trumpet players, drummers, singers and more in the undercover mall at Merseyway.

4.15pm – 4.45pm

MARKET PLACE

Walkabout Penguins: Catch a waddle of penguins around the town centre as they spread festive joy with their clumsy and loveable antics.

12pm – 4pm

ARTIZANI Desert Island Discs: Be swept away on a tropical winter adventure where a castaway battles time, befriends Larry the lobster, and escapes a shark-infested audience in a hilarious and heart- warming tale. Watch in awe as a giant 20-foot inflatable lobster bursts onto the stage, bringing joy and laughter to all ages, and witness the most improbable helicopter rescue you’ve ever seen!

1.15pm – 1.45pm and 3.15pm – 3.45pm

New York Brass: A powerhouse 7/8-piece with a line-up of percussion, sax, trumpets, trombones, guitar and sousaphone; New York Brass take inspiration from contemporary New Orleans musicians and are sure to have everyone on their feet ready to dance into the festive season!

12pm – 12.30pm and 2pm – 2.30pm

SUFFRAGETTE SQUARE

Juba De Leão: Inspired by the floor-shaking rhythms and vibrant dances of North-Eastern Brazil, Juba do Leão take the audience on an enlightening tour of the intoxicating grooves of Brazil and beyond. Every performance features beats and breaks, with booming bass drums and slicing snare lines.

THE UNDERBANKS

Spurting People: Developed with Avanti Display, building on their show ‘Spurting Man’ which was described as “one of the most classic street theatre shows of the last twenty years”; this brand new rendition will transform 10 members of the audience into human fountains. Prepared to get wet and have lots of fun!

1.30pm – 2pm and 3pm – 3.30pm

The Living Dress: The Living Dress is a beautiful large-scale installation made of naturally dyed textiles using plants and flowers, presented on a stunning 5m tall sculpture. The installation invites visitors to consider the rich connections between our natural environment and the garments we wear, imagining new forms of sustainable fashion.

12pm – 4pm

Dizzee Brasscals: Bringing high energy brass and blowing big beats, the Dizzy Brasscals feature an all-world-class ensemble, having toured and recorded with artists including Craig David, Embrace, Lily Allen, Paloma Faith, Doves, So Solid Crew and Melanie C. Make sure to catch them in Stockport as they raise the roof with festive bangers and Christmas joy.

12pm – 12.30pm, 2pm – 2.30pm and 3.30pm – 4pm

Speed Painting with John Hicks: Upside down, revolving, 6-foot-tall speed paintings of famous ICONS. Executed with style, dexterity, attitude, and immaculate timing to music.

12pm – 12.15pm, 1.15pm – 1.30pm and 2.15pm – 2.30pm

Arthur’s Class Act: Get into the festive spirit with the vibrant sounds of local steel band, Arthur’s Class Act, bringing lively rhythms to the Christmas celebrations.

12pm – 12.30pm and 2.15pm – 2.45pm

PLUS, a Procession Takeover with Global Grooves, Walkabout Acts and Pop-up Community Performances across the town throughout the day

With so many enchanting surprises, laughter, and holiday spirit at every turn, Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday is set to be an unmissable day filled with magic, joy, and unforgettable moments for the whole family. For full details and schedule, visit www.totallystockport.co.uk and get ready to step into a truly spectacular start to the holiday season!

Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday has been part funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

*All timings correct at the time of issue and may be subject to change