Summer in Stoke-on-Trent

Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
big feast summer in stoke on trent
Appetite, The Big Feast Festival 2018

1 August — 30 September 2018 Entrance is free — Visit now

The city of six towns, Stoke-on-Trent (affectionately nicknamed The Potteries), is bursting with an inspired programme of cultural activity this summer; spanning music festivals, ale trails and pop-up exhibitions through to one-off events, talks, workshops and film screenings taking place across all six towns. The city is also home to a wealth of world-class visitor attractions, award-winning museums, exceptional gardens, five Victorian parks and the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever to be found. All in all, it’s clear that the same unique creativity and bold entrepreneurial spirit upon which the area’s great fortunes were first founded in the 18th century continues to live on today and will leave you wanting to come back for more, again and again.

1 August — 30 September 2018 Entrance is free Visit now

Our top picks

Emma Bridgwater Factory

Emma Bridgwater Factory, Lichfield Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3EJ - Visit now

The pottery lover’s mecca, over 1.3 million Emma Bridgwater pieces are produced at the designer’s Stoke-on-Trent based factory every year – each one touched by over 30 deftly-skilled hands. Take an award-winning tour, visit the heavily discounted shop and have a go at producing your own earthenware masterpiece.

Emma Bridgwater Factory, Stoke-on-Trent
Emma Bridgwater Factory, Stoke-on-Trent

Trentham Gardens

Trentham Gardens, Stone Rd, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 8JG - Visit now

Comprising of 725 acres of land set within a glorious stretch of North Staffordshire countryside on the southern fringe of Stoke-on-Trent, the award-winning visitor attraction Trentham Estate is the last remnant of one of England’s greatest garden estates.

trentham gardens stoke on trent
trentham gardens stoke on trent

World of Wedgwood

World of Wedgwood, Wedgwood Dr, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9ER - Visit now

Former Art Fund Prize Museum of the Year Award winner, World of Wedgwood in Stoke-of-Trent houses one of the most important industrial collections in existence and offers a unique record of over 250 years of ground-breaking British ceramic design and production.

world of wedgewood summer in stoke on trent
world of wedgewood summer in stoke on trent

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Bethesda St, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3DW - Visit now

Home to the most significant collection of Staffordshire ceramics in the world and the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found, a visit to Stoke-upon-Trent is not complete without an afternoon whiled away in The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

Middleport Pottery

Middleport Pottery, Port St, Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 3PE - Visit now

Built in 1888, the beautifully-conserved grade II* listed Middleport Pottery has been producing its world-famous Burleigh pieces for over 120 years. Today it is the only working Victorian pottery left in Stoke-on-Trent and a multi award-winning visitor attraction.

Middleport Pottery
Middleport Pottery

Bethesda Chapel

Bethesda Chapel, Albion St, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 1QF - Visit now

Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Hanley is considered to be one of England’s grandest surviving town chapels – and it’s easy to see why.

Bethesda Chapel, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
Bethesda Chapel, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Gladstone Pottery Museum

Gladstone Pottery Museum, Uttoxeter Rd, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 1PQ - Visit now

The last complete Victorian pottery factory in Britain, Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton provides a unique insight into the history of Stoke-on-Trent; an area renowned for its world-class pottery and ceramics.

Gladstone Pottery Museum Summer in Stoke on Trent
Gladstone Pottery Museum Summer in Stoke on Trent

Stoke Minster

Stoke Minster, Glebe St, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1LP - Visit now

Just a short walk from Stoke-on-Trent train station is Stoke Minster, believed to have once been an important Celtic religious site and where Christian worship has taken place since Saxon times.

Stoke Minster, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke Minster, Stoke-on-Trent

Burslem Town Square

Burslem Town Square, Market Place, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4AT - Visit now

‘Mother town’ of The Potteries, Burslem dates back to at least 1085 when it appears listed in the Domesday Book. Today, the wealth and fortune generated by the boom in global demand for Staffordshire pottery can still be seen reflected in the town’s many fine red brick buildings and grand displays of civic pride.

The Wedgwood Institite, Burslem summer in stoke on trent
The Wedgwood Institite, Burslem summer in stoke on trent

Where to go near Summer in Stoke-on-Trent

Symmetry Room
City Centre
Museum
Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions Manchester is part of the global Museum of Illusions Group, the largest and fastest-growing chain of private museums in the world.

Tropical World logo
Leeds
Tourist Attraction
Tropical World

At Tropical World, families can enjoy a fun-filled and educational day out. Start your epic journey in the Butterfly House, where exotic butterflies fly freely through our swampy mangrove, fluttering

Manchester
Restaurant
Soap Street Pizza

Based at Nordie in Levenshulme, Soap Street Pizza put out the perfect pie: crispy base and inspired toppings.

Wellington Place
Leeds
Event venue
Wellington Place

Wellington Place is a brand new business park in Leeds, with multi-use spaces and a varied programme of events from street food to art shows.

Carden Park
Cheshire
Hotel
Carden Park

Huge luxury estate, featuring high-end restaurant, beautiful rooms, a fully-packed spa and much more.

What's on: Exhibitions

Wolf in Yellowstone
Until
ExhibitionsManchester
Wild at Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum explores the concept of ‘wild’ nature as a means of tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis in a new exhibition.

free entry
Two people sitting playing a video game.
Until
ExhibitionsCity Centre
Art Plays Games at FACT

Art Plays Games is a new show at FACT, celebrating games created by digital artists and independent video game developers.

free entry

Culture Guides

Sextile
Music in the North

Electronic music features heavily in our latest round-up of gig highlights across Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

A woman sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
Cinema in the North

Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

Okechukwu Nzelu
Literature Events in the North

If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.