Man About Town – April 2026

By Greg Hall

Without a doubt, one of the highlights of the Sandbachian calendar is our annual Transport Festival and this year’s event, taking place across the weekend of 25th and 26th April, promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Boasting ‘a variety of vehicles from classic cars to modern classics, from trucks to planes and everything in between’ (well, they say ‘everything’, but I’d like to see them get a nuclear submarine or aircraft carrier up the High Street), organisers have made it clear that the 2026 event will combine our rich transport heritage with live music, delicious food and a feel good family vibe.

While the primary focus of the Saturday will be paying tribute to both Foden and ERF truck manufacturers, who between them dominated the town’s landscape for a combined total of more than two hundred years, the event initially kicks off with a celebration of all things two-wheeled.

Once the festival has been officially opened by Mayor John Arnold, spectators will firstly be treated to a display by the acclaimed ‘On the Edge’ motorcycle stunt team (of which there are three performances throughout the day) followed by the equally impressive ‘Fusion Extreme’ BMX show.

On the Sunday, attention turns to the highlight of the weekend – the vehicular parade through town, where a variety of spectacular machines (and some less spectacular) will drive down the High Street to the delight of the onlooking crowds (nuclear submarine TBC). Throughout the day, there will also be vintage bus rides taking place every twenty minutes from outside The Flower Shop on Congleton Road.

In addition, there will also be a host of military vehicles on display throughout the weekend, including a return of the Spitfire on the Small Common car park, not to mention model railway exhibits in the Town Hall.

Music lovers will be treated to a range of live acts over the weekend (well, I say ‘range’, but that’s assuming the acts themselves are yet to be announced, because otherwise the band ‘TBC’ feature heavily on the festival website), taking place on The Cobbles from 1.00pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, and 1.00pm to 4.00pm on Sunday. Foden’s (the brass band this time, rather than the trucks) will also be performing at 3.00pm on the Sunday.

Finally, the foodies amongst us have not been forgotten, with a plethora of sumptuous delicacies available across the weekend, and there will be numerous family events (including a fairground in the park) dotted around the town centre.

All in all, it promises to be the best Transport Festival yet, so here’s hoping the weather is as kind as the people are in this fine town of ours.