It’s time once again to roll out the black carpet and batten down the hatches, as Whitby Goth Weekend strikes the sleepy seaside town with its biannual independent music festival.
As ever, Whitby Goth Weekend is an all ages event. We welcome – nay, encourage – families to attend and introduce the next generation of alternative music fans. With concessions for kids and families alike, there’s no reason to leave anyone behind!
To kick off our 2018 calendar we’ve diversified even more than we’re already legendary for. Friday Night is set up to be an incredible evening of cabaret, circus and variety performances, as the Spa Pavilion becomes the Goth Weekend big top for the first time! This is truly a Goth Weekend variety show, displaying the best and most bizarre that the alternative has to offer. Standing by our slogan of expanding the definition of Goth, we truly feel that this is a weekend that simply can’t be missed.
Now in its 24th year, The Weekend is still one the largest and most successful independent, home grown festivals in the UK – and is continuing to attract world-renowned talents. Whitby Goth Weekend is estimated to produce a whopping £1.1million for the town’s local economy per annum, and has generated thousands for charities such as the Bat Conservation trust and the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
The event is celebrated as an icon of the alternative movement, having been studied, visited and explored by television, newspapers and radio over the years, and has, despite all this, remained utterly independent throughout its run. Growing voraciously from its origins as a forty-person pen-pal meet up in 1994, it now attracts thousands from all over the globe, not only to wander among like minded folk, but as a colossal meet up between friends – all from word of mouth, with no sponsorship and no outside funding.
After two decades, the team is still built of friends and family, all in house, and the town now handles between 8,000 and 10,000 people a year, drawn entirely by the spectacle of top hats and tailcoats roaming the town’s Victorian streets.
Diversifying every annum, the event attracts all manner of subcultures, with a melting pot of the alternative population now making regular appearances and meetings to the sounds of a hugely varied series of groups, all of which, in some way, have influenced, or been generated from, one of the world’s most recognisable movements – goths, punks, steampunks, Rockers, Bikers and more – everybody is welcomed! With our world-renowned Bizarre Bazaar, an awesome line up of Fringe events and a friendly, supportive team, Whitby Goth Weekend is a perfect event for all.
Friday night tickets are only £29.
The line-ups for the Saturday and Sunday night are at the following link:
http://www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk/dates-line-up/
WHITBYGOTH WEEKEND TICKET SHOP
https://wgwshop.whitbygothweekend.co.uk/collections/tickets
WHITBYGOTH WEEKEND WEBSITE
http://whitbygothweekend.co.uk/
WHITBYGOTH WEEKEND FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/whitbygothweekend/
Here is a snipet of What’s On
Friday 27th of April
Rayguns Look Real Enough
A mind-melting fusion of rock and roll, cabaret and comedy, Rayguns Look Real Enough tout themselves as being a rock band on the edge. But nobody knows what they’re on the edge of. With a superb sense of showmanship – including a now legendary tiger onesie – and deft guitar playing, this mashup outfit are sure to entertain even the most cynical audience member. Once dubbedthe British answer to Tenacious D – But way funnier, Rayguns Look Real Enough are something completely new for the UK’s longest running independent Goth festival – and we can’t wait to see what they have in store!
http://www.RaygunsLookRealEnough.com
Desmond O’Connor
Internationally renowned – and a rather incredible multi-talent – Desmond O’Connor has a twenty year career in everything from musical theatre to production. A favourite of the world famous Edinburgh Fringe festival, Desmond’s cheeky, satirical lyrics have brought hilarity and a slightly alternative twinge to the world of stage presentation with a superb, George Formby twist – a ukulele and a fine suit can easily bring you into a false sense of security – but those rude, loud and witty words are sure to pull you back into reality.
http://www.DesmondOConnor.com
Circus of Horrors
The ultimate in Gothic cabaret – the ultimate in Gothic magic – the ultimate in Gothic entertainment. Since 1995, Circus of Horrors have amazed, shocked and thrilled audiences around the world. Filling stadiums – including the first ever British circus slot to perform in Moscow, and amazing the revellers of Glastonbury are just a few of this alternative circus troupe’s incredible achievements. What could possibly be better to kick off one of the greatest independent festivals in the United Kingdom? This is their first time at WGW, and we’re almost certain it won’t be their last! They’ve promised us an exclusive show completely separate to their current multi-date international voodoo tour – who knows what lays in store…
http://www.CircusofHorrors.co.uk