Northern Grip announces festival hub for 2017

Northern Grip has announced its festival hub as Stubbylee Park in Bacup - nestled at the foot of Lee Quarry, this hidden northern gem of a Victorian park offers stunning spaces, woodland, cafe and perhaps most importantly an easy gateway to the music, thrills and rides planned for the weekend.

In 2016, Rossendale Borough Council opened a BMX track and pump track as part of a large scale investment and development plan for the historic park which features stunning woodland escapes and wildlife.

Northern Grip organiser David Agnew says "we’re thrilled to have discovered the park for our base for the weekend. The park has this laid back, faded Victorian grandeur feel amongst brilliantly maintained green spaces offering our riders a fantastic base from which to experience a weekend filled with amazing moments."

Camping for weekend ticket holders

Camping will be available ON SITE in Stubbylee Park for both Friday and Saturday nights allowing ticket holders to be right at the heart of the action with secure bike storage and showers in place.

Camping tickets are now available through our site for just £15 per person per night, or £25 for the weekend.

About Northern Grip

Northern Grip is an annual celebration of Mountain Bike culture amongst a programme of pop up music, arts with quality food and drink, following on from the hugely successful inaugural event in Ramsbottom last year it returns on 8th & 9th July and moves over the valley to Lee Quarry and Stubbylee Park.

Northern Grip organiser David Agnew says "Last year’s event was amazing with our audience loving the combination of trail activity, new bike demos. music, food and beer. Stubbylee and Lee Quarry is a fantastic venue for Northern Grip to shine a spotlight on this year and we’ll be building a festival hub to bring all the comforts and culture which people loved last year - and much more. A bigger, better and bolder Northern grip will include big and little bike brands announced in the coming weeks offering a opportunity to make the most of 2 days around Lee Quarry and the Rossendale Fells."

How much bigger will it be? The festival hub is aiming to be double in size for this year. The organisers are hoping to at least double the amount of attendees this year too. More food, more drink, more trade stands, more demo bikes, more music, more surprises and more trails. The whole festival will be very moreish.

More mounatin bike trails? Oh yes indeed. Lee Quarry and neighboring Cragg Quarries are just the start of the riding on offer at this year’s Grip. The relocation of the festival to Rossendale allows for an unprecedented amount of varied riding. Wild riding, mild riding, single track, gravel, rocks, roots, 30km monsters, 3km pootles… you name it. We’ve even got some climb-free options if you want cruise and views. All mapped out and way marked on the day for your convenience.

As with the 2016 festival, there’ll be some surprises out there on the hills too. The epic sausage rolls and the acid-brass band surprises of last year’s Grip will be hard to top but top them we shall. You won’t want to miss this year’s show.

Previewing new bikes will be:

Specialized, Orange, Yeti, Haibikes and Sonder

Food & Drink - Bunny Hop is Back

Food and drink will be available all day in the festival hub where you can sample our very own Northern Grip Bunny Hop ale brewed exclusively for the festival by new Helmshore craft brewery Northern Whisper as well as a wide range of festival food and fodder. A new café recently opened by the Bacup Greenhouse project will serve breakfast and meals throughout the weekend.

Music & Dancing

Having popped up all over the event last year we are thrilled to welcome back Mr Wilsons Second Liners with their unique carnival take on early 90s floor fillers. Joining them will be the James/Kooks/Catfish inspired Manchester / Preston alliance of Saytr Play who music website Emerging North called ‘“The best thing to leave Preston since Freddie Flintoff!”. Keep watching for more band announcements.

Manchester’s legendary Funkademia club night is again providing the grooves to keep us dancing into the night, with Gareth Brooks of Hula Bar and XFM fame to start the party.

Northern Grip 2017 is sponsored by Leisure Lakes, with partners Alpkit, Dirt Factory and Team JMC, with the support of Rossendale Council, The Whitaker, PMBA, the National Trust and Sustrans.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £25 at www.northerngrip.co.uk