Hastings Seafood, Wine & Music Festival Returns to the Stade This Weekend

Hastings Old Town is preparing for a weekend of seafood, local drinks and live music as one of the town's popular festivals returns to the Stade.

The Hastings Seafood, Wine & Music Festival gets underway tonight, Friday 11 September, before continuing throughout Saturday and Sunday.

Taking place at the Stade Open Space in the heart of Hastings' historic fishing quarter, the festival brings together local food and drink producers alongside a packed programme of live entertainment.

This year's event introduces themed music days across the weekend.

Friday evening gets things started with Northern Soul, with Hastings Northern Soul Club providing the music from 6pm before Buddy Curtess & The Grasshoppers take to the stage later in the evening.

Saturday switches styles with a day dedicated to Country, Western and Americana, bringing a mixture of live performances and feel-good country sounds to the seafront.

Sunday then moves into Jazz, Ska and Soul.

Local jazz favourite Liane Carroll will be among Sunday's highlights, with the popular Jazz Breakfast returning before music continues through the afternoon.

Food remains at the heart of the festival.

Visitors will be able to choose from seafood and street-food stalls while local vineyards and drinks producers showcase wines, beers, ciders, spirits and other products from across Sussex and the surrounding area.

There will also be live food demonstrations during the weekend.

Fish expert C. J. Jackson – known as "The Fish Boss" – will demonstrate seafood preparation and share some of his knowledge of the fishing industry.

The location gives the festival a particularly Hastings feel, taking place alongside the town's famous beach-launched fishing fleet at Rock-a-Nore.

The festival has become a regular fixture in the Hastings calendar, combining the town's fishing heritage with its increasingly varied food, drink and live-music scene.

Tonight's opening session runs from 6pm until 10.30pm.

The festival then reopens at 11am on Saturday, with entertainment continuing until 7.30pm, before returning for its final day on Sunday.

With plenty happening elsewhere around Hastings this weekend, organisers will be hoping for a busy three days on the Stade.

Hastings Seafood, Wine & Music Festival runs from Friday 11 September until Sunday 13 September at the Stade Open Space, Hastings Old Town.