GOLDEN Square Shopping Centre has launched a packed summer programme, including some free events including Warrington Music Festival and GS Pride, designed to bring music, culture and entertainment to families in the heart of the town.
Following a year of major events and growing momentum for the town centre venue, the Old Market Square is once again set to host a varied calendar of activity across the summer months, with free events, family-friendly experiences, live music and community-led sessions all forming part of the wider Golden Square programme.
With families continuing to feel the pressure of school holiday costs, accessibility has been a key part of Golden Square’s summer planning. Coram’s 2025 Holiday Childcare Survey found that working parents in Great Britain now face an average summer holiday childcare bill of £179 per child per week, or £1,075 across the six-week break, placing extra pressure on families already looking for affordable ways to keep children entertained.
Golden Square’s programme has therefore been designed to include a mix of free events, family-friendly activity, low-pressure town-centre experiences, and larger ticketed shows, giving visitors options across different budgets. The shopping centre has also confirmed that promoter for the larger events, HC Promotions, will be making tickets available through The Ticket Bank – a project that makes event tickets available to everyone regardless of their financial situation.
The programme also sits alongside a wider town-centre family offer, with several Warrington venues introducing school holiday dining deals, including Kids Eat Free promotions.
At the heart of the summer is a true Warrington homecoming, as Starsailor headline the Old Market Square on Saturday 25th July 2026. For Golden Square, the show represents more than another live music date. It is a milestone moment bringing one of the town’s most successful bands back to perform in the centre of Warrington and underlining the venue’s growing role in the region’s live events scene. As the headline event of the summer, Starsailor anchors a wider programme that spans free community celebrations, family-friendly activity, grassroots music, pop culture, school-holiday entertainment and major ticketed shows.
The programme begins with the return of Warrington Music Festival on Saturday 6th June, bringing a full day of live music to Old Market Square from midday until 11pm. The free, unticketed event will celebrate grassroots music and emerging talent, with a line-up including Winachi, The Ambersons, Freight, Olivia Booth and more.
On Saturday 13th June, Golden Square will host Drew’s Dirty Disco presents GS Pride 2026, a free, all-ages celebration taking place across the shopping centre. The event will include live entertainment, community groups, traders, family-friendly activity bringing colour, celebration, and community spirit to the heart of Warrington.
July will continue with The Hitman Returns on Saturday 11th July, a ticketed celebration of 90s club culture inspired by The Hitman & Her, hosted by Pete Waterman and featuring Cappella, 2 Funky 2, Porn Kings and Alex Party.
Comic Con at Golden Square will follow on Saturday 18th July, offering a free, family-friendly day of pop culture fun in the town centre.
Starsailor
Golden Square’s Summer Fair will also return across the school holidays, bringing fairground fun, family activity and summer energy to Old Market Square from the end of July and throughout August.
The programme will continue into September, with Twisted Smile In The Square with House Gospel Choir taking place on Saturday 19th September. The ticketed event will bring house, 90s house, funky house and disco house with a House Gospel Choir joined by Ricky Isted and Holly Jay.
Alongside the larger summer events, Golden Square will continue to host regular and accessible in-centre activity, including Triple J Record Fair, Cycle Buddie learn-to-ride sessions, Eden Mobility Coffee Mornings and the monthly Art Therapy Social Group.
Ian Cox, Centre Director at Golden Square Shopping Centre, said:“Old Market Square was created to give Warrington a space that could bring people together, and this summer really shows what that can look like. From free events such as Warrington Music Festival, GS Pride and Comic Con, through to family activity across the school holidays, we’ve worked hard to create a programme that feels open, welcoming and accessible.
“We know families are having to think carefully about the cost of days out, especially during the summer holidays, so it has been important to include events and experiences that work for different budgets, ages and interests. This programme is about celebrating Warrington, supporting the town centre and giving people more reasons to come together.”
Golden Square says the programme reflects its wider commitment to making the shopping centre a place for more than retail, creating events and experiences that support the town centre, champion local culture and offer visitors more reasons to spend time in Warrington.
Further details about Golden Square’s summer events programme can be found at www.gswarrington.com/events
