Events

IT’S BIGGER, IT’S BETTER AND IT’S BACK!!!

Hartlepool Maritime Festival is now established as one of the major events in the North East’s of England’s calendar,  attracting some 60,000+ visitors in 2004 and last year a similar event, Tees Valley Tall Ships Visit attracted 175,000 visitors to Hartlepool, which is a record for the town. The Festival is held within a huge 70,000 square metre waterfront and quayside.

The programme of events (most of which are free) will take full advantage of the Marina and Jackson Dock as the water will be used for many water activities and water-based entertainment provided by Hartlepool Marina, Hartlepool RNLI and HM Coastguard. The festival site also includes the length of Maritime Avenue up to the piazza and bandstand and right along Navigation Point with it’s many restaurants, bars and cafes. The festival brings together and benefits commercial and retail organisations and a large number of public, private and community sectors of the town work together to bring a spectacular and action-packed festival.

This year the theme is ‘World Class Cultures’ and with multi-culture in mind the festival is subtitled (WOW - "Window on the World"). A story will be told through dramatic street decoration, giant artistic installations and performances by a host of local schools and community groups. The multi-cultural carnival atmosphere will be complemented by the best in international street theatre, dance and The Studio, Hartlepool’s very own music venue is programming a weekend of World Music on a stage in the car park of Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience. All these activities will create a visual extravaganza along the waterfront. A traditional programme of maritime events and family entertainment at the Hartlepool Maritime Experience and Museum of Hartlepool will make this already established event the best ever to date. So make July 1st and 2nd dates in your diary.

For more information, please visit thye Festival website www.hartlepoolmaritimefestival.co.uk