A Coast for All… Summer Events and Heritage

There’re plenty of free firework displays dazzling the skies across Dorset but you’ll also find some special nature reserves, renowned for wildlife and geology. 

If you’re seeking dazzling fireworks overhead this summer, get to Dorset!  Poole Quay on Thursday nights is the place to be, from 10pm 25 July, 1 to 29 August.  There’s a raft of places to eat and live music from 7pm.   

If you’re on Poole Quay, see the Jurassic Coast in a way you’ve never seen it before by hopping aboard a City Cruises boat.  The operator has just won a 2024 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award, making it in the Top 10 percent of worldwide attractions for excellent service, so you’ll be in good hands! Take a day-trip to Swanage, book a new Jurassic Adventurer with steam train and open-top bus, a cruise around the islands and much more, check out the cruises here.

At nearby Bournemouth Pier the night sky will be lit up on Fridays from 26 July to 23 August and special night displays will crackle and pop at the Air Festival on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 August at 10pm. 

The Swanage Carnival and Regatta offers games, races and a popular carnival procession through the town, enjoy fireworks displays by Banjo Pier at the beach. Check out dates here plus more displays in Weymouth, Wareham, Lyme Regis, Christchurch and at Bridport’s Carnival and Torchlight Procession starting from the delightfully-named Bucky Doo Square. 

Dorset also bursts with prestigious coastal heritage. Durlston Country Park & Nature Reserve is designated as a Heritage Coast, Special Area of Conservation, Site of Special Scientific Interest, National Landscape and National Nature Reserve. The offshore waters are part of the Marine Research Area making Durlston and area a very special place for wildlife and geology, perfect for a summer escape from the crowds.  

At the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, sits Swanage. Steeped in Victorian charm, its pier looks as great today as it did 100 years ago.  It’s a valuable marine habitat, important for sub-aqua diving, angling and water sports, its Tale of Two Piers visitor centre tracks its history. Come for fish and chips cruises, yoga or even to get married! 

Over on the Isle of Thanet the summer is in full swing. Head to Margate Soul Festival 2-4 August, Broadstairs Folk Week 9-16 August, Margate Pride on 10 August and Ramsgate’s Festival of Sound 22-25 August. 

When it comes to seaside heritage, Margate delivers by the bucketload. Dreamland Margate is a one-stop-shop of culture, food, festival fun and vintage-style park rides.  Its Scenic Railway is the oldest roller-coaster in the UK and Grade II* listed. The Shell Grotto dates back to 1835 and is a subterranean wonder decorated with 4.6 million shells, Margate Harbour Arm’s bronze shell lady is a replica of JMW Turner’s landlady while the Oval Bandstand and Lawns at Cliftonville have witnessed 130 years of musicians, famed comedians and all manner of eccentric seaside culture, it now offers open air theatre and cinema. 

Broadstairs’ Bandstand is a replica of the original Victorian and still offers year-round entertainment, the harbour features plenty of original features while Ramsgate boasts the only Royal Harbour, thanks to King George IV’s generosity. A series of Discovery Plaques bring to life the Isle’s history or check out costumed walks, walking tours or self-guided walks here. 

Whether you’re on the Kent or Lancashire coasts, you’ll find entertainment in spades, enjoy rollercoasters, bandstand performances and vintage festivals for every all the family.

On the Lancashire coast, Rebellion Festival, Blackpool 3-6 August, is the UK’s largest independent punk festival, suitable for all ages. Enjoy the very best of UK Punk at Rebellion Festival, with 6 indoor stages, a punk art festival and over 300 bands.  Blackpool’s Air Show takes place 12-13 August with the Red Arrows opening the show both days and around 1k cyclists take to Blackpool’s prom for one night only on 27 August in Ride the Lights, previewing the famous illuminations before their official switch on later that night, both events free. 

Along the coast in Lytham singing, dancing and re-enactments of the second world war-era add a splash of colour on 17-18 August at the 12th annual Lytham 1940s weekend and in Morecambe Vintage By the Sea celebrates fashion, art, music and culture from the 1920s to 1990s, 31 August to 1 September.

On the north east coast, The East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centredisplays the historic lifeboat The George Elmy and gives an insight into the rich heritage of the area.  

The lifeboat capsized during a rescue off Seaham in November 1962 in which 5 volunteer crew members tragically lost their lives as well as 4 of 5 fishermen who had just been rescued. The lifeboat was thought to have disappeared entirely after it had been removed from Seaham by the RNLI after the tragedy. However, one of the members of the East Durham Heritage Group spotted the lifeboat for sale on eBay in 2009 and the money was raised to buy it and return it to Seaham.  

The multi award-winning Seaham Marina is Durham's one and only marina. It provides facilities for 96 boats and is home to a fantastic selection of local businesses, from souvenir shops and cafes serving delicious homemade cakes to water sports and restaurants.  

You’ll find breath-taking views from the viewing platform at Seaham’s Red Acre Point, the site of the port's first lighthouse and later became a defensive gun emplacement during the Second World War. 

Seaham’s also a global hot spot for sea glass collecting, attracting visitors from across the world.  The town and nearby Sunderland were home to bottleworks and glass making factories during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In fact Seaham boasted the largest glass bottle works in Britain – The Londonderry Bottleworks, operating from the 1850s to 1921. 

The bottleworks dumped large amounts of waste glass straight into the North Sea. At each new tide, you’re certain to find colourful little gems along Seaham’s shore, shaped and smoothed by the North Sea for over 100 years, what better way to spend a summer’s afternoon! 

Further south, gather all the family for the Between the Tides Festival, Redcar and Cleveland’s flagship free weekend event of the summer, 24-25 August. Come for theatre, puppetry, circus, dance, storytelling and live music with lots of pop-up performances. 

Kids will also enjoy Architects of Air, 22-25 August, an amazing Luminarium installation set in the grounds of Kirkleatham Museum. Wander through a wonderful world of light and colour through a maze of winding paths and soaring domes, book ahead. 

Further south, gather all the family for the Between the Tides Festival, Redcar and Cleveland’s flagship free weekend event of the summer, 24-25 August. Come for theatre, puppetry, circus, dance, storytelling and live music with lots of pop-up performances. 

Kids will also enjoy Architects of Air, 22-25 August, an amazing Luminarium installation set in the grounds of Kirkleatham Museum. Wander through a wonderful world of light and colour through a maze of winding paths and soaring domes, book ahead.