What is the Bridlington Bay Lobster Festival?

Over the last couple of years, the Bridlington Seafood Festival has grown in support, with the aim of promoting local catch and suppliers in a fun and family friendly way.

When we started discussions about the BIDs involvement in 2019, we shared businesses views of how it could be improved, including the location and branding to ensure that if we provided funding, the event took place in a location where the most businesses could benefit from this additional footfall.

“As well as agreeing to be a major funding partner of the Bridlington Bay Lobster Festival, the BID was able to influence its location, from its usual position next to the new Lifeboat Station to Garrison Square and Prince Street where far more businesses are based.  By positively engaging with the BID we were able to not only secure the existence of the festival but to do so in a way which maximised its benefit to the BID’s levy payers.  Although it has not been possible to hold the event this year, planning is underway to hold the Festival on the 19th and 20th June 2021, when it will be even bigger and better!” – Ray Williamson, Holderness Coast Fishery Local Action Group Animator

This has led to the rebrand and relocation of the event which will showcase the region’s mouth-watering seafood at Bridlington Bay Lobster Festival.  Sadly the event needed to be postponed in 2020 and 2021, but we are pleased that this is being rescheduled to take place in 2022!

This festival importantly will celebrate the area as the largest lobster fishery in Europe, whose delicious catches are exported to Europe, the Far East and the United Arab Emirates.

The festival will be free for visitors to enter, and will offer everything from cookery demonstrations, musical entertainment and wildlife presentations from local maritime organisations such as the RNLI.

“Our plans for the Lobster Festival in 2020, celebrating Bridlington Bay as the largest lobster fishery in Europe were unfortunately impacted by Covid-19. However, with support from the Yorkshire Coast BID, we’ve been able to rearrange the Festival for next year to June 19th and 20th 2021 and will be putting our energies into creating a bigger and better festival showcasing the region’s seafood.” – James Wood, Festival Steering Group Chair.

We are really excited to support activity that showcases our local produce and this will be built into our coastal project (TBA soon!) to inspire visitors to sample the local catch.

The Detail

Bridlington Bay Lobster Festival is a weekend event that will take place in 2022.

Activities will include:

  • Seafood trade stalls
  • Cookery demonstrations
  • Musical entertainment
  • Street theatre
  • Children’s activities and entertainment
  • Local maritime organisations
  • An evening entertainment programme on Saturday evening

Who will benefit?

Bridlington Bay Lobster Festival will give businesses, residents and visitors the opportunity to:-

  • Understand why Bridlington is Europes Lobster Capital of the UK
  • Sample local suppliers catch
  • Learn how to use our local catch to create delicious meals

2022 Investment:  £10,000