Reviving The Seaside thrill in Bangor by the Sea

7th August 2023

Seaside Revival, the vintage festival celebrating Bangor’s heyday as a prominent seaside resort, returns to the city’s seafront on Saturday 12^th August for its fifth annual outing.

A celebration of all things vintage, local and seaside-inspired, around 20,000 people are expected to attend the free event in the McKee Clock arena area overlooking Bangor Marina. Organised by Open House, it is supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The event, which runs from 12 noon to 6pm, will feature live music from Bangor duo Jenna Frazer and Dave Arthur, aka In Full Swing, local rock n roll band, The Soda Popz, and the Open House Festival choir. Alongside the music, there’ll be dancing from the era of swing, jazz and big band – a nod to Bangor’s famous dancehall days at Caproni’s, Milano’s and The Savoy – with a Swing Out dance competition sponsored by Joxer Bangor, which is open to the public.

People who don’t fancy dancing but want to get involved in the spirit of the event, can take part in the Best Dressed contest, which is sponsored by The Nines. There’ll also be a Frock Around the Clock vintage market, a pop-up hair salon, macrame workshops, pop-up vintage memorabilia exhibitions, and a record fair at the Court House just across the road, plus retro food trucks and a pop-up bar.

One of the highlights will the vintage car and bike show in Queen’s Parade car park, where around 130 vehicles will compete for Best Original Car, Best Classic Car, Best Classic Bike, Best Classic Van, and Best Modified Classic. Judging and presentation will take place on the day and all registered entrants will receive an official Seaside Revival commemorative window sticker.

“From the 1940s to the mid-70s, Bangor was a thriving seaside town with a strong local community and a successful tourism economy,” says Open House Director, Kieran Gilmore. “At Open House we work hard to re-connect the people of Bangor to the seafront and city centre through arts and cultural events, and Seaside Revival is a perfect way to embrace the things that made Bangor a great place in the past and help to shape its future as a modern seaside city resort.”

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour said, “I am really looking forward to attending Seaside Revival in Bangor this weekend. Open House Festival are doing a fantastic job through this and many of their other events to bring together local partners and communities to celebrate our cultural heritage – the things that make Bangor a great place. Seaside Revival will bring back the best of Bangor through a range of creative and fun events and I hope everyone has fun reliving a bit of Bangor’s past.”

And after a run of unseasonal weather, it looks as though the sun will be shining on the day.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on the forecast and the weather is looking good for Saturday 12^th, so we’re expecting big crowds,” says Kieran. “The Queen’s Parade car park will be closed to facilitate the car and bike show. Other car parks around the town will be open including the Flagship Centre, but we’d encourage people to walk to the seafront, or take public transport, especially if they’re coming from outside of Bangor. Get down early and enjoy the day, especially if the sun does shine.”

Full details of the event schedule can be found at www.openhousefestival.com/seaside-revival and for train and bus times go to www.translink.co.uk