Lighting Up Macclesfield!

by Macclesfield Town Council

Macclesfield Lantern Festival combines Macclesfield Town Councils Lantern Parade and Northern Light and comes to town on Saturday 24 January 2026.

This FREE event promises to be a feel good afternoon and evening right in the centre of town, with a few familiar faces helping out – giant lobster anyone?! 

The Town Council are inviting you to assemble at the Silk Museum from 4:30pm with your lanterns, ready to join the parade and set off at 5pm. 

The parade will head up Mill Street and finish at Market Place where there will be a selection of walkabout entertainment, fire and glow performances and more until 7:30pm. R&G’s Beer Vault will be there with their hot drinks stall to help keep out the cold as well as the cafes and bars in the surrounding streets.

If you want to take part in the parade and need to make a lantern, then we’ve got a range of workshops for you. 

The Silk Museum will be running workshops on Saturday 24 January - these will be free but spaces are limited so you'll need to book in one of the slots. You can book via their website.

If you miss out on a spot then you can always head to the drop-in session run by Macclesfield Community Artspace in the Grosvenor Centre, 2pm – 4pm in the unit opposite Timpsons. The workshop is free and all kit required to make your milk bottle Elmer lantern will be provided to you.

ArtSpace will also be running an evening session at their Gunco Lane HQ on Tuesday 20 January, 6pm – 8pm, for those interested in making a wire based Elmer lantern, please book via the Artpsace website.

So put on your best light-up trainers, grab a torch and we’ll see you in town, Saturday 24 January, 4:30pm – 7:30pm.