Broadstairs 2017 seaside events

• Written by: Lorraine
• Written on: January 30, 2017
• Filed Under: 2017 Events, Activities, Broadstairs, Days Out, Local Area

We are excited about 2017 and as the holiday season will soon be starting up again we thought we’d use this post to  tell you about some of the upcoming events, as well as things to do and places to go, for your perfect English seaside holiday on the East Kent coast this year.

Broadstairs is set in the heart of the Isle of Thanet on the East Kent coast of England, between the two larger towns of Margate and Ramsgate, all three of these traditional English seaside resort towns have sandy beaches and many amenities for holidaymakers. Many people say that Broadstairs is the jewel of Thanet and we are inclined to agree – the town is also known historically as Star of the Sea – after the ancient Star of the Sea shrine that was situated here in medieval times – on the site of what is now The Chapel (a very cool and quirky bar which is also a music venue and book shop.)

You can get here in just over an hour from London and yet many Londoners may not know the town, since the fast train service (HS1) from St Pancras is relatively new and it used to be a 2 hour journey by rail, which meant resorts in Sussex that were quicker to get to (Brighton and Hastings in particular) have tended to be better known, despite the fact that Thanet beaches are sandy and the area has so much else going for it it has, for many years, been less front of mind for Londoners, simply because it used to take that bit longer to get to. But with HS1 that is changing – fast.

Thanet is rapidly becoming more and more in vogue as a place to go. Tourist visitor numbers in 2016 were up around 30% on the year before.  Broadstairs remains a quintessential traditional English seaside resort with golden arcs of sand, ice cream parlours, fish and chips, crazy golf a bandstand and formal gardens all a short stroll from each other in the centre of the town.

You can still get those slower trains, they leave from Victoria and if that’s closer for you you might prefer to come via that route which is also cheaper than the HS1. Driving here is generally an hour or so from South East London and up to two hours from other parts of the capital.

In 2017 look out for the following events (and see Visit Thanet for full listings for Broadstairs and the wider area):

• Broadstairs Blues Bash –  #findyourblues 17 – 19 February.
• Broadstairs Food Festival Spring Fair – Easter weekend
• Looping the Loop Adventures in Performance – 23 April – 2 May
• Broadstairs Dickens Week – 17 – 23 June.
• Broadstairs Water Gala – 23 August
• Broadstairs Summer Sounds – family friendly concerts with top local talent at the bandstand in August, dates tbc
• Broadstairs Folk Week – 11 – 18 August
• Looping the Loop Adventures in Performance – autumn season and Festival in October – dates tbc.
• Broadstairs Food Festival 29 Sept – 1 October

Also check out:

• Thanet Coast Project for beach safaris and seal watching,
• Crampton Tower Museum and Dickens Museum in Broadstairs,
• The award winning historic costumed St Peter’s Village Tour (St Peter’s is just outside Broadstairs)
• Ramsgate Tunnels, see how people kept safe by living in tunnels during WWII in Ramsgate
• Dreamland  – the original theme park, reinvented, with the world’s scenic railway and lots of special events
• Turner Contemporary – an world class gallery providing free exhibitions and events in the harbour at Margate
• Sea Searcher for boat trips

And browse our other blog posts and also the wonderful Isle Magazine online before you come, for even more inspiration!

If your heart’s desire is simply to hang out on the beach and go for walks then cosy up in your comfortable Beeches Holiday Let at the end of the day, you’ll find lots of cliffs and beaches to enjoy – 26 miles of stunning Thanet coastline (seven golden sandy beaches in Broadstairs alone) will keep you happily exploring for as long as you want to be here.

We look forward to seeing you in Broadstairs 2017! Check availability for your preferred dates using the form on our homepage – and book soon to be sure to get the holiday accommodation you require.