Welcome back to Happy!

After a bit of a break, we're glad to be able to welcome you back to Happy!

Happy is an arts festival inspired by the work of Bury-born Victoria Wood, and how she made people feel

Over the weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September 2021, we'll finally be celebrating the full Happy festival programme with a Victoria Wood ‘Fan Day’ at Bury Art Museum and neighbouring Library Gardens – next to Victoria’s statue. Whether you’re a fan of Victoria’s songs, drama, comedy, or her musicianship, you’ll find something to love at this fabulous fan day.

On the Sunday we move our focus to Burrs Country Park, with an amazing line-up of live performance, comedy, cabaret, dance, brass bands and music hosted by Britain’s Got Talent’s Steve Royle. Bring a picnic or enjoy the refreshments in the park. See our events page for more details and how to book. Welcome to a Happy September!

Happy is a part of the Bury Town of Culture programme.

Highlights

The Ukulele Club 


by Steve Cooper. The Met. Tickets £13. A rib-tickling musical. Bring a uke, and join the fun. Or sit back and watch the drama unfold (contains nuts).

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Bring Me Sunshine

by Huckleberry Films. FREE. Running time – 10 minutes. Recorded at May’s Happy Festival, in and around Bury. A look back at the Happy Festival in May, which brought a...

Learn More

Tuning In

FREE. Bury Art Museum. Andy Hollingworth has been photographing the country’s greatest comedy talent for 25 years. In 2019, the Happy Festival commissioned Andy to create work inspired by Victoria...

Learn More

OUR VICTORIA FAN DAY

Bury Art Museum 10am-8pm & Library Gardens 11am-6.30pm. FREE ENTRY (some events are £5) – see individual events for info ‘She said, “Kitty, do you like to have fun?” I said...

Learn More

FAN DAY – Andy Hollingworth snaps fans!

11.30am. FREE – no need to book. Come to the Art Museum wearing your favourite Victoria Wood costume or bring a prop and have your photo taken by star photographer...

Learn More

FAN DAY – Time for a singalong!

2.30-3.30pm and throughout the day. FREE. Bring your friends to a very special Victoria Wood Fan Day at Bury Art Museum and join in with some toe-tapping, hilarious songs from...

Learn More

Met Express – Whose Line is it Anyway?

Improv fun with the gang from the Met. Get ready to shout out suggestions and watch mayhem ensue! If you’ve got a problem, our Met Express Super Heroes can solve...

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The Happy Marquee at Library Gardens

Join us in the Happy Marquee next to Victoria’s statue in Library Gardens, Bury. We’ve got songs, have-a-go musical activities and a special new Victoria-inspired dance. It’s free, you don’t...

Learn More

FAN DAY – A talk with Andy Hollingworth

10.30-11.30am. Tickets £5. Andy Hollingworth has been photographing the country’s greatest comedy talent for 25 years. As well as snapping Victoria Wood, he was a keen follower of her work....

Learn More

FAN DAY – Hands Up Who’s Happy?

FREE – no need to book. 1.30-2.30pm. A short, sharp comedy by Steve Cooper. Karl, an uptight Casual Gallery Assistant, tries to deliver a short presentation about Bury Art Museum...

Learn More

Lucky BagS by Ruth Jones

A new dance piece that’ll put a smile on your face. Created especially for Happy by choreographer Ruth Jones, inspired by the Victoria Wood archive, Lucky BagS is a dance...

Learn More

FAN DAY – Victoria, A Q&A hosted by Jasper Rees

3.30-4.30pm. Tickets £5. Hosted by Jasper Rees, author of the hugely successful Let’s Do It, Victoria Wood’s authorised biography, our panel share stories and talk about what it was like...

Learn More

Happy on the East Lancashire Railway….

Join the ride! Doolally and ALFA Ukulele Club will be performing on the wonderful East Lancashire Railway on Sun 5 Sept as a part of our Happy programme. Why not...

Learn More

HAPPY AT BURRS LIVE

Sunday 5th September 12noon (gates open) -9.45pm Burrs Country Park Tickets £11 What a fantastic day we’ve got in store for the last Sunday of summer. Hosted by Britain’s Got...

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"I'm going North. It's a compulsion with me. Even in Tesco's I head straight for the freezer cabinets on the back wall."

"I'm apparently something of a celebrity since I walked the Pennine Way in slingbacks in an attempt to publicise mental health."

"It's just one of the things I've always wanted to do, swim the Channel. And meet Bonnie Tyler."

"I can't say this often enough. It may be Hamlet, but it's got to be fun, fun, fun!"

"I'm learning a language. It's called 'Get By In Flemish'. I'm learning it in case I ever go to Flem."

"He said, do you want a drink or do you want a kick up the bum with an open toed sandal? I said get you Eamonn Andrews."

"You're separated aren't you? Yes, he's livin int loft. He's got the lilo and the slow cooker. We don't speak…"

"They said they'd made out a little wedding list. Little? It made the Domesday book look like a raffle ticket…"

"I can remember when pants were pants! You wore them for 20 years then you cut them down into pan scrubs or quilts."

"Life is very tough for these Northern women, I did a cameo in a Barbara Taylor Bradford; heartbreaking…."

"Well he's not my husband but he brushed past me in a sports jacket so as good as..."

Comedy September 4

The Ukulele Club 


by Steve Cooper. The Met. Tickets £13. A rib-tickling musical. Bring a uke, and join the fun. Or sit back and watch the drama unfold (contains nuts).

Find out more

Book Now
Exhibition September 4

Bring Me Sunshine

by Huckleberry Films. FREE. Running time – 10 minutes. Recorded at May’s Happy Festival, in and around Bury. A look back at the Happy Festival in May, which brought a...

Find out more

Exhibition September 4

Tuning In

FREE. Bury Art Museum. Andy Hollingworth has been photographing the country’s greatest comedy talent for 25 years. In 2019, the Happy Festival commissioned Andy to create work inspired by Victoria...

Find out more

Comedy September 4

OUR VICTORIA FAN DAY

Bury Art Museum 10am-8pm & Library Gardens 11am-6.30pm. FREE ENTRY (some events are £5) – see individual events for info ‘She said, “Kitty, do you like to have fun?” I said...

Find out more

Exhibition September 4

FAN DAY – Andy Hollingworth snaps fans!

11.30am. FREE – no need to book. Come to the Art Museum wearing your favourite Victoria Wood costume or bring a prop and have your photo taken by star photographer...

Find out more

Comedy September 4

FAN DAY – Time for a singalong!

2.30-3.30pm and throughout the day. FREE. Bring your friends to a very special Victoria Wood Fan Day at Bury Art Museum and join in with some toe-tapping, hilarious songs from...

Find out more

September 4

The Happy Marquee at Library Gardens

Join us in the Happy Marquee next to Victoria’s statue in Library Gardens, Bury. We’ve got songs, have-a-go musical activities and a special new Victoria-inspired dance. It’s free, you don’t...

Find out more

September 4

FAN DAY – A talk with Andy Hollingworth

10.30-11.30am. Tickets £5. Andy Hollingworth has been photographing the country’s greatest comedy talent for 25 years. As well as snapping Victoria Wood, he was a keen follower of her work....

Find out more

Book Now
September 4

Cap and Dove in Bury

Cap & Dove, a unique mobile arts centre, is on its way to Bury this summer. Artworks from Bury Art Museum’s Collection, special performances, and activities will hop aboard and...

Find out more

Comedy September 4

FAN DAY – Hands Up Who’s Happy?

FREE – no need to book. 1.30-2.30pm. A short, sharp comedy by Steve Cooper. Karl, an uptight Casual Gallery Assistant, tries to deliver a short presentation about Bury Art Museum...

Find out more

Let's Do It!
September 4

The Happy Marquee – ALFA – give it a go!

Go on, give it a go! Join ALFA’s Ukulele group, either just sit and listen or come and give it a go… You never know you might like it. Suitable...

Find out more

Comedy September 4

Lucky BagS by Ruth Jones

A new dance piece that’ll put a smile on your face. Created especially for Happy by choreographer Ruth Jones, inspired by the Victoria Wood archive, Lucky BagS is a dance...

Find out more

September 4

FAN DAY – Victoria, A Q&A hosted by Jasper Rees

3.30-4.30pm. Tickets £5. Hosted by Jasper Rees, author of the hugely successful Let’s Do It, Victoria Wood’s authorised biography, our panel share stories and talk about what it was like...

Find out more

Book Now
September 4

Notes on Notes on Camp

Saturday 4th September, 7-8pm Written and performed by Andrew Pollard and Jez Dolan with Tom Guest What is camp? The brassy barmaid? The good-time-girl with a heart of gold? The...

Find out more

Book Now
September 5

Happy on the East Lancashire Railway….

Join the ride! Doolally and ALFA Ukulele Club will be performing on the wonderful East Lancashire Railway on Sun 5 Sept as a part of our Happy programme. Why not...

Find out more

September 5

HAPPY AT BURRS LIVE

Sunday 5th September 12noon (gates open) -9.45pm Burrs Country Park Tickets £11 What a fantastic day we’ve got in store for the last Sunday of summer. Hosted by Britain’s Got...

Find out more

Book Now