Global Grooves - Manchester

28/08/2026

Afterglow at Chester Zoo 2026! We were there from 31st July until 16th August presenting a whole host of delights this year, it was bigger and better than ever! Puppets, Walkabouts, Str**t Theatre, Silent Disco and more 🐘🪩 🐝🦜🦚🐮🫧

Huge thanks to our amazing cast and crew for bringing even more magic to the Zoo this year, as well as all the team at Chester Zoo.

Shoutout to: No Eyed Theatre Full Stilt, OTW Oldham, Emma Mäřa Cruz and Simmeon, Tucum Capoeira Manchester, Granny Turismo.

📸 Chester Zoo, Harvey Jones.

26/08/2026

Join Holly this September for another Caixa Blast class! Following popular demand, our resident director and percussion teacher Holly Prest is offering percussion classes in Caixa (snare drum) every other month here at The Vale.

If you're thinking of coming, please book in advance.

🗓 Thursday 24th September
⏰ 7pm - 9pm
📍 The Vale, Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, Greater Manchester, OL5 9JL
🎟 £5 - £12 per session

Book here: https://www.globalgrooves.org/whats-on/caixa-blast-24th-sept-2026/

21/08/2026

I mean…how much of a great time did we have at Summer Festival take over last week at ?! 🌞

The festival brought together some of the UK’s most exciting QTIPOC and Global Majority artists and was a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture and community. There was circus, dance, live music, fashion, drag, interactive performances and joyful moments for all ages.

Shout out to our amazing puppeteers .andass and .kungu.dance, dancing Manny and Kaya.

18/08/2026

It was so beautiful to be part of Better Together Festival at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital last Friday, partnering again with our wonderful friends Songbirds Music UK. We’ve worked together since 2017 to bring Carnival magic to the hospital.

A HUGE shoutout to our incredible volunteer cast and crew for creating such a vibrant afternoon of music and movement both outside and inside the hospital.

Thanks as well to Cabasa for their beautiful butterfly wings 🦋

17/08/2026

After a fantastic taster workshop in July, we're really excited to be back exploring Cuban Carnival with Christian Weaver of La Timbala this October. Come join this brilliant short course:

Cuban Carnival: Introduction to El Mozambiqué
🗓 6 week short course (every Thursday eve)
🗓 15 Oct - 19 Nov
⏰ 7pm - 9:30pm
📍The Vale, Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, OL5 9JL

This short course is an introduction to the carnival music known as El Mozambiqué, developed by percussionists Pello el Afrokan in Cuba towards the end of the 1950s. El Mozambiqué developed the traditional percussions, brass and vocal music of carnival with new hybrid rhythms, mixed with existing parts to create a new style that swept the island!

Up for the challenge? These workshops will cover instrumental technique, basic parts and some variations for improvising, hearing the melody of the polyrhythm, and will work towards becoming familiar with the clave (the important organiser in Cuban music). We'll cover a number of short songs and eventually arrive at a full arrangement of a piece (percussion and vocals).

Sign up here: https://www.globalgrooves.org/whats-on/cuban-carnival-introduction-to-el-mozambique/

15/08/2026

We had a fabulous time at Refract Festival at in Sale in July! Everyone had a r**t good boogie with our Manny accompanied by our pals !

🎥

13/08/2026

Just over a month to go before Bologna Bridge Band kick off our next season of live music here at The Vale. Come and have a boogie to this blistering str**t-style brass band who fuse New Orleans jazz & funk with high energy dance.

🗓 Saturday 12th September
⏰ 7.30pm
🎟 £18*
📍 The Vale, Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, Greater Manchester, OL5 9JL

+ DJ Matt Catt

Tickets: https://the-vale.co.uk/event/bologna-bridge-band-support/

*A limited number of donate what you can tickets are available on a first come first served basis. We respect our audience’s privacy to choose the right ticket for their financial circumstances, no evidence required.

13/08/2026

09/08/2026

Are you available next Friday 14th August? We're looking for a few more volunteer drummers, dancers, and crew to help create something incredible at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. This is your chance to help to put a smile on a child’s face and fill the hospital grounds with incredible music, dance, costumes and more 🌈

Part of Better Together Festival 2026 with Songbirds Music UK, this colourful Carnival parade will join an incredible day festival programme to share the power of music and performance with those who need it the most.

Is percussion, horns or movement your bag? Join the Carnival Bloco!

Prefer big puppets and costumes? We’ll be bringing along many of our favourite giants for you to perform with.

Want to support behind the scenes? We can’t do it without our Carnival Crew!

We need our Carnival community to help to bring the parade to life – take the morning off and join us to spread some joy for the children, families and staff at the hospital.

Everyone age 14+ welcome, no experience required.

You'll be needed 10:30am - 2:30pm

Sign up here: https://www.globalgrooves.org/whats-on/hospital-of-music-carnival/

04/08/2026

Come get your summer holiday drum on at The Vale. 2 more sessions left the next 2 Mondays for 14-25s.