The town of Kirkham twinned with Ancenis in France in 1973, and the Golden Jubilee will be celebrated in Kirkham over the Bank Holiday weekend 25th- 28th 2023.

In 1981 Ancenis twinned with Bad Brückenau in Germany. In 1995 Kirkham also twinned with Bad Brückenau so completing the triangle and forming a three-way link between these towns, unique in Europe at that time.

Kirkham Twinning Association is a voluntary organization which was formed to encourage and foster relationships between the organisations in Kirkham and its twin towns, and aims to enable the wider appreciation of different cultures and to develop understanding and friendship between the peoples of the three towns.

The Association stands alone without any Council grants or input, holding various fund-raising events each year to raise funds to enable it to host visitors from both twin towns every third year in Kirkham. In the intervening years people from Kirkham are welcomed into each of its twin towns.

Ancenis was founded in 984 AD and stands on the river Loire, its bridge linking the departments of Brittany and Anjou. It is a well-integrated mix of industry, commerce, schools and markets similar in size to Kirkham.

Bad Brückenau is typically Bavarian town standing on the river Sinn and is renowned for the quality of its spa waters. King Ludwig I financed the landscaping of parks and scenic walkways and the construction of beautiful neoclassical buildings spending many of his summer holidays in the town. The town itself is also similar in size to Kirkham.