Wartime Spitfire to grace sky above Vintage by the Sea festival in Morecambe to mark 10th anniversary

The iconic wartime aircraft will fly over Morecambe Bay during the free family festival which takes place on September 2 and 3.

The flypast on September 3 will be the icing on the 10th anniversary cake for festival co-founders, Deco Publique, which was established in 2013, and Wayne, Gerardine and Jack Hemingway of Hemingway Design.

“Back in 2013, we wanted to do something that had an impact for Morecambe and to create a festival that built on the town’s cultural offer and really showed its potential as a place for high quality cultural experiences, “ said Lauren Zawadzki who co-founded Deco Publique with Elena Jackson, some 30 years after first meeting at primary school in Lancaster.

“It’s absolutely amazing that Vintage by the Sea has had such an impact.”

The first festival was a one day event and attracted 6,000 people and by 2014, 40,000 visitors attended.

The festival co-founders feel humbled to have come through the other side of the Covid pandemic and last year, 45,000 people enjoyed the event which generated £1.5 million for the local economy.

Vintage by the Sea has been described as one of the Top Five Retro Events in the World and awards include Visit Lancashire’s Large Tourism Event of the Year and finalist at the UK Festival Awards.

To mark the anniversary and also create a legacy in the festival’s milestone year, Deco Publique has commissioned Morecambe’s Good Things Collective to create The People’s Bandstand.

A playful nod to Victorian structures, the bandstand will host craft activities, competitions and performances over the weekend but most importantly, it will create a pop-up space for much-needed connections and conversations.

It will provide a platform that puts the spotlight firmly on Morecambe’s growing creative community and have a legacy as a new pop-up creative space for creative and community moments.

Alongside all the new features, Vintage by the Sea will welcome back many of the artists and performers who’ve appeared at the festival in years past and will include popular attractions such as the Vintage Marketplace, the Classic Car Show and Bradford to Morecambe car rally, street theatre, pop-up dance lessons, the Makers Market and Best in Show vintage fashion parade.

Among the family workshops will be screenprinting vintage posters led by Morecambe Community Riso Press and porcelain ceramics run by Ram Ceramics, also based in the town.

Tickets are already on sale for the Vintage by the Sea After Party which features ex Portishead, Andy Smith, leading a musical journey through the decades, and for the Torch Club Ball, hosted by the Midland Hotel which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.

Vintage by the Sea events takes place in and around the Midland Hotel, Promenade Gardens, the Winter Gardens and The Platform.

For more information, see https://www.vintagefestival.co.uk/vintage-by-the-sea/

Vintage by the Sea was co-founded in 2013 by Morecambe-born designer, Wayne Hemingway with Gerardine and Jack Hemingway, Hemingway Design and Morecambe-based art and culture company Deco Publique.

The festival is supported with funding from Arts Council England, and is produced in partnership with Lancaster City Council, the Midland Hotel and Winter Gardens.