Summer days – car dealer backs Feel Good Family Picnic

Posted by on 2 Jun 2025

Automotive dealer Premier Kia has been confirmed as main sponsor for this summer’s Feel Good Family Picnic.                                     

The popular events for families pulled in more than 15,000 people last year with picnics in Heywood, Middleton, Littleborough and Rochdale. Organised by the council team behind Rochdale Feel Good Festival it brings four days of fun activities, performances, music, sports and shows for children of all ages to local parks from 29 July to 1 August.
 
The Feel Good Family Picnic will be staged at Rochdale Town Hall Square on Tuesday 29 July, Limefield Playing Fields in Middleton on Wednesday 30 July, before moving to Littleborough’s Hare Hill Park on Thursday 31 July. The final stop will be Queen’s Park in Heywood on Friday 1 August. 
 
The Rochdale Kia dealership, based on Molesworth Street near the town centre, will be promoting the event to their customers across Greater Manchester as well as having an eye-catching brand area at each event featuring 2025 World Car of the Year - the Kia EV3, the Kia EV6 and 2024 World Car of the Year - the Kia EV9. 
 
Ben Bird, director at Premier Kia, said they were proud to be supporting the event: “We’ve supported Rochdale Feel Good Festival since 2018 and I’m pleased to extend this to include the Feel Good Family Picnic which we are very happy to be a part of this summer. These eagerly awaited events are all about getting outside and having a great experience with family and friends during the school holidays.  Premier Kia is committed to the local community and this event gives us another opportunity to join in the fun.” 
 
The theme for this year’s picnics will be ‘co-operation,’ covering the arts, culture, communities, togetherness and the power of shared experiences, with line-up details to be announced this month. 
 
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council, invited Kia Genius Chris Bowyer and service advisor Kelly Barnes to Heywood for a picnic in Queen’s Park to thank them for the support and discuss plans for the event. Coun Smith said: “We’re very grateful for this support from Premier Kia which is invested into the event to enable us to deliver an even more enchanting and unforgettable time for our visitors this July and August. The Feel Good Family Picnic’s will be filled with fabulous free live performances, music, activities and magical entertainment to capture the imaginations of families in our beautiful parks and public spaces.” 
 
The event will be staged by the council in partnership with Without Walls, a consortium of festivals and arts organisations bringing fantastic outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across England. As well as sponsorship from automotive dealer Premier Kia it is supported through the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). 
 
The Feel Good Family Picnic is part of a spectacular line up of festivals, live performances, exhibitions and art during Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture 2025-26. The title, awarded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, celebrates the town’s rich history, creativity, talent and diverse arts scene. Find out more at www.rochdale.gov.uk/TownOfCulture 
 
Plan your visit to the Feel Good Family Picnic at rochdale.gov.uk/FamilyPicnic and like FeelGoodFamilyPicnic on Facebook.