Friday 29th May 2026
What is so unusual about the Whit Friday Band Contests? The day is unlike any other, where 11 Brass Band contests are held on the same day. Competing bands travel around by coach, trying to visit as many contests as they can. We have information here for competing Bands – old hands and new visitors – and for onlookers or folk trying to navigate through the area. The contests change slightly from year to year, so it is worth checking what is new in each village.
There are eleven villages in the Saddleworth and Oldham Whit Friday Brass Band Contests and each one of those offers a unique experience. We work together to make sure that the Whit Friday experience is the very best it can be for the bands, our volunteers, and the visitors and residents who all come together to enjoy this special day. Each contest has its own character, and so before you visit, please take time to read about each one. If you have any queries that haven’t been answered on these pages, please get in touch by following the links here.
Where exactly is Saddleworth? It is actually the collective name for a group of villages in the foothills of the Pennines on the outskirts of Oldham. Making your way around the eleven contests in the Saddleworth and Oldham Whit Friday contests can be quite a challenge, particularly for coach drivers who are not familiar with the area. There are temporary road closures and one-way systems to navigate. Planning your route ahead of time will help you on the day – Google Maps won’t!
We have tricky, hilly roads that are narrow and many are not suitable for coaches. Most contests have some kind of one way system for band coaches, so approaching them from the right direction will help speedy turnaround. There are more restrictions in place for visitors, so we recommend leaving the car at home, or on the outskirts of Saddleworth and exploring the contest venues by foot or public transport.We hope that these pages will help you plan and enjoy your visit to us on Whit Friday. We look forward to seeing you!
DISABLED ACCESS: Please check each contest page for information about their individual arrangements.
PARKING: Parking at any of the contests is very difficult, if not impossible! There are parking restrictions almost everywhere. It is best to access the contests by public transport. You can get to Greenfield Station from Huddersfield or Manchester and walk from there along lovely canalside walks, or use the shuttle buses.
SHUTTLE BUSES: TFGM has organised a shuttle service from Grotton to Uppermill throughout the day at 20 minute intervals. Other buses have been slightly rerouted. See timetable below.
OTHER SERVICE ALTERATIONS AND RE ROUTING
84 | Services to start at Grotton and follow normal route to Manchester. |
| 84 | Services to follow normal route and terminate at Grotton. |
| 180 | All journeys to terminate at Grotton turning circle. |
| 180 | All journeys to start at Grotton turning circle. |
| 184 | BEFORE O8:30 NORMAL ROUTEAfter 08:30 normal route to Greenacres Road/Dunhan Street, left Stamford Road, right Oldham Road A62 continue past Delph crossroads to resume normal route at Standedge. |
| 184 | BEFORE 08:30 NORMAL ROUTEAfter 08:30 Standedge cutting continue A62 past Delph crossroads continue A62 left Stamford Road Right Dunham Street/Greenacres Road to resume normal route. |
| 356 | From 08:48 journey Services will operate between Oldham and Denshaw Only. |
| 356 | From 08:18 journey Services will operate between Ashton and Top Mossley only, the 23:15 trip Greenfield to Denshaw will not operate. |
| 350 | BEFORE 08.30 NORMAL ROUTE After 08.30 journeys will operate normal to Delph returning to Stamford Road, left High Street continue Oldham Road, A669, Right Shaw Hall Bank Road past Greenfield Train Station continues Shaw Hall Bank Road continue Well-i-Hole to resume normal route. JOURNEYS 14:23 AND ONWARDS FROM OLDHAM WILL NOT SERVE DELPH, OPERATING VIA STAMFORD ROAD LEES AND GREENFIELD. |
| 350 | BEFORE 08.30 NORMAL ROUTE After 08.30 journeys will operate normal route to Huddersfield Road B6175, ahead Well-i Hole continue Shaw Hall Bank Road past Greenfield Train Station, left Oldham Road, right St John Street continue Stamford Road, right Oldham Road A62 to resume normal route serving Delph JOURNEYS 14:17 AND ONWARDS FROM ASHTON WILL NOT SERVE DELPH, FROM STAMFORD ROAD LEFT OLDHAM ROAD A62 TO RESUME NORMAL ROUTE. |
