It has been and continues to be a big couple of years for the town, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and exciting investments
Galleries25
Ground has broken on a £135 million redevelopment masterplan to reimagine The Galleries shopping centre and provide a vibrant new retail, leisure, commercial and residential destination in the heart of the town. Visitors will be able to shop by day, enjoying a new market and Market Hall at Marketgate with a food hall, café, co-working and workshop space and winter gardens, as well as have the choice of a variety of entertainment by night, including a six-screen cinema, 10-lane bowling alley, indoor mini golf, a music and e-sports venue, evening entertainment space and a landscaped public realm square for annual outdoor events. There will also be a new hotel and 464 residential units. The project started last year and is due for completion in 2025.
galleries25.com
Wigan Casino
In the early hours of September 23, 1973, Northern Soul was born at an All-Nighter at the all-new Wigan Casino. This year, exactly 50 years later, the party is bigger than ever.
Wigan Casino welcomed 600 souls that first night and over the following eight years to December 6, 1981, held weekly events to share the love of Northern Soul onto the national music scene.
This September 22 to 24 will see Blackpool International Soul Festival (specially moved from its usual June dates) collaborate with Wigan Casino to celebrate the big 5-0, hosting its very own All-Nighter on September 23.
The Opera House at Blackpool Winter Gardens will also be open for a filmed documentary premiere of Wigan Casino: The Legacy and a Q&A with a Wigan Casino DJ who is launching his autobiography there, as well as Wigan Casino sessions in the Empress Ballroom.
Other celebratory events include a temporary Northern Soul exhibition throughout the summer as part of the year-long Museum of Wigan Life exhibition Make Some Noise – From Stage Floor to Dance Floor, celebrating music and entertainment from across the borough, and a possible outdoor photography exhibition and outdoor event on King Street.
The Pier Quarter
The redevelopment of Wigan Pier is due to restart this month to transform the site into a wedding venue, gin distillery, microbrewery, food hall and events space.
The project had been delayed slightly but is back on track, with work on Pier 2 and Pier 3 becoming a multi-event space: the ground floor will become a delicatessen and large taproom style pub, whilst the two floors above will be ‘flexible space’, ideal for weddings, conferences, cultural events, art installations and performances.
Work on Pier 4 and 5 will begin later, to be used for pop-up events and artisan markets.
Uncle Joe’s
The iconic Uncle Joe’s has launched a year of celebrations to recognise the 125-year anniversary of its famous mint balls.
The landmark occasion showcases its history and heritage, a family-business launched by William Santus and his wife Ellen in a small house on Acton Street, Wigan in 1898 as a sideline on the corner of his fruit stall. Each year, 33 million sweets are manufactured using the same traditional methods.
Celebrations began in late January when Mayor of Wigan Borough, Councillor Marie Morgan unveiled a commemorative 125th anniversary logo on the side of the factory on Dorning Street, and an illuminated version will be projected onto the side of Haigh Hall as part of a year-long collaboration.
They will also support Wigan Casino's 50th anniversary event at Blackpool's Winter Gardens on September 23, celebrating the town's iconic 1970s Northern Soul All-Nighters.
Further anniversary announcements will be made throughout the year.
uncle-joes.com
Wigan Warriors
It was a big one for Wigan Warriors last year as they celebrated their 150th anniversary, winning the BetFred Challenge Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and beating Huddersfield Giants.
It’s the latest addition to the team’s trophy cabinet and follows years of wins, including the Super League Grand Final in 1998 and the World Cup Challenge on four occasions. Their win of the World Cup in 1994 completed a clean sweep of trophies in the game, topped off with a win against the Brisbane Broncos at Stadium Australia (previously the ANZ Stadium) and later being crowned Team of the Year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
The club is a household name in the game, having produced many rugby legends including Billy Boston MBE who joined the club in 1953 and played 488 games, scoring an incredible 478 tries in his 15-year career at the club.
Coached by Matty Peet, the club is based at Robin Park Arena and play their home games at the adjacent DW Stadium, with teams at senior, academy and women's levels as well as the physical disability and learning disability league.
wiganwarriors.com
