longton carnivaL & pig walk parade
Annual Community & Heritage Arts Festival, since 2023
Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade was established by Urban Wilderness CIC in 2023, following a research and development project in Longton town centre asking people in Longton what they’d like to see happen here. It is based on a heritage story about Mayor John Aynsley who won a bet with the Duke of Sutherland in the 1880s by walking a pig from Trentham to Longton, to win the land for Queen’s Park for the people of Longton, the first Victorian park in Stoke-on-Trent.
Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade is created by Urban Wilderness CIC in collaboration with local organisations and an army of local volunteer makers, stewards and performers. It is a town wide event, partnering with Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton Victorian Market, Longton Central Hall, Duchess China 1888 and Longton Exchange Shopping Centre to provide a free, fun arts festival experience for families across multiple venues and stages, with music, street theatre, creative workshops and the Pig Walk Parade finale!
The most recent event, on Sunday 6th April 2025, attracted 30,000 visitors throughout the day, supported by 200 volunteers and engaging 60 artists and performers.
For more information, visit the website at pig-walk.com
Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade is produced by Urban Wilderness CIC, supported by the Longton community. It is funded by Arts Council England, The National Lottery Community Fund, UK Community Foundations and Stoke-on-Trent City Council through the Shared Prosperity Fund funded by UK Government.
meet the team!
urban wilderness CIC
event producers
Urban Wilderness CIC are Laurel Gallagher, Isla Telford and Jenny Harper; three women with a driving belief that place-based creative interventions can make significant changes personally, environmentally and economically.
They are the Event Producers for Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade, responsible for creative direction, funding, organising and management.
Shademakers UK
parade costume, puppetry & movement directors
Shademakers UK are world-leaders in large scale ‘kinetic costumes’. They have performed in the Queen’s Jubilee parade and London Olympics 2012 opening ceremony. They are based on the Isle of Wight.
They designed and made Jolly the Pig for Longton Pig Walk and come back to Longton to bring incredible costumes and movement skills.
KiLNE
parade BAND
Formed by musicians Danny Shaw & Ben Oakes in 2024, KiLNE is a contemporary nu-marching band
made up of equal parts brass and drums, with a mission to spread positivity and inclusiveness through the joy of music.
KiLNE launched at Pig Walk ‘24 with a newly composed score and they’re back this year leading the parade music!
contact
If you have a question about Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade, you can contact us:
Email: info@urbanwildernesscic.com
donate
Donate to Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade to support this FREE event and make sure that we can bring it back year after year, bigger and better, for the people of Longton!