Dorset Seafood Festival 2024 CANCELLED in Weymouth
Organisers are blaming rising costs
Organisers of the Dorset Seafood Festival have decided not to run the event in Weymouth this year.
The Festival was founded in 2008 and over the years grew to become Weymouth’s biggest event, originally based around Weymouth Harbour and more recently relocated to the Peninsula.
The Dorset Seafood Festival, was the first of its kind in the area and was a huge hit with locals and visitors alike, attracting seafood-lovers from across the country.
In 2021 the Festival relocated from the open harbour setting to the Peninsula, due to concerns over possible Covid restrictions.
Organisers behind the event say layout changes to the Harbourside, and a sharp downturn in the economy – resulting in increased costs and significantly reduced sponsorship meant that had no way forward other than to continue at the Peninsula in 2022 and 2023.
Ticketing was introduced to help cover costs. The 2023 Festival saw record crowds of around 10,000 festival-goers gather at the Peninsula.
A study on the economic impact of the 2022 Festival showed a £3.1 million benefit locally, which is something the organisers say they are incredibly proud of.
However they say for the small local team who run the event, justifying the time and colossal effort involved in the organisation has become increasingly difficult.
They say recent increases to car parking prices from Dorset Council have seen the site fee alone surpass £15,000, a staggering increase that has helped them make the decision for this year.
Dorset Council has been contacted for a comment, but so far have yet to reply.
Laura Avant, Festival Director, said:
“We are very proud that we found a way to keep the Festival going through difficult times over the past few years – first the Covid pandemic where we lost a whole year, then the funding problems caused by the worsening economic climate. We know ticketing wasn’t an approach approved of by everyone, but it just about enabled us to cover costs and keep the event going. The new format came with some great benefits too, with a less crowded space and the ability for us to provide much more seating, children’s cookery workshops, art activities etc, we’ve had some amazing feedback.
"The Festival has always been a labour of love, everyone who gets involved ends up putting in more time than they really should. The reward for our small team has always more about a sense of achievement than anything else. However the recent cost increases are such that we must now go with our heads and not our hearts.
"The Festival has raised more than £90,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission charity over the years and has been the biggest annual event contributor to their funding. The charity is close to the heart of everyone involved with the Festival, and we’re truly sorry that fundraising efforts won’t continue next year.
"Thank you to everyone who has attended the Festival over the years, please continue to enjoy sustainable local seafood! A huge thank you to our sponsors, stall holders, partners, chefs, musicians and local contractors too – it’s been a real team effort (and a blast!) hosting the event and we couldn’t have done it without you.”