BURY'S cultural venues will open their doors to the public on Saturday, July 31 for a special Town of Culture open day.

The event which is being held to celebrate the town’s status of the Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2021, will provide residents and visitors alike with a unique opportunity to experience what really goes on behind the scenes at some of the town's theatres, museums, galleries and visitor attractions.

The open day will also mark the re-opening of many cultural businesses and organisations which have been closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Venues taking part on the day include The Met, The Fusilier Museum, Bury Transport Museum and Bury Art Museum as well as Roch Valley Radio who will be entertaining the crowds in Bury Market and promoting events throughout the day. All events are free and will include a mix of live music, themed talks, guided walks and behind the scenes tours.

Customised gig truck, The Bandwagon, will also be making an appearance outside the Drill Hall on Saturday and Sunday from 2pm until 5pm where up and coming Manchester artists will be performing.

Cllr Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for the cultural economy, said: “We wanted to do something special to celebrate our year as GM’s Town of Culture as well as support our cultural businesses who have lost so much in terms of income over the last 16 months.

"A Bury Open day is the perfect opportunity for our venues to really showcase what they do best as well as encourage local residents and visitors to engage with the amazing cultural experiences we have on offer in the town.”

Victoria Robinson, chief executive officer at The Met, added: "We're delighted to be part of the Bury Town of Culture open day and we are looking forward to seeing people back in The Met enjoying themselves with live music and special behind the scenes tours throughout the day.

"Bury has so much to offer in terms of culture so to be able to experience what we have all on one day is a unique opportunity."

The full list of venues, event and booking information can be found at: visitbury.com/things-to-do/bury-town-of-culture-open-day

Bury was chosen as the inaugural Town of Culture for 2020 by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, but sadly the majority of the programme had to be postponed due to the pandemic. Officials have been working with cultural partners across the town to develop a new programme which kick started with the Happy Festival in May.