Bexhill FEASTival 2026
Three days of street food, market stalls, ale, cider and live music on the lawns in front of Bexhill's De La Warr Pavilion over the May bank holiday.
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Rye, Hastings, Battle and the wider East Sussex coast keep a busy calendar of festivals, fairs and one-offs — many of them generations old.
Come for the one event you've been meaning to catch, or stitch a few into a long weekend. Stay at The River Haven Hotel and you're in the heart of historic Rye, with the town's events an easy walk from the door. Hastings, Battle and the rest are a short drive — and with a large car park on site, coming and going is straightforward.
Three days of street food, market stalls, ale, cider and live music on the lawns in front of Bexhill's De La Warr Pavilion over the May bank holiday.
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Real ales, ciders, perry and live music on the platforms of the Kent & East Sussex Railway in Tenterden, with steam-train rides on Saturday.
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A flat and fast 5k and 10k race series on Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, five Friday evenings from May to September, with a Junior Run for the kids.
Hermes Running's twin Bewl Water race days bring 10km, half marathon, marathon and 50km ultra distances to scenic woodland paths and lakeside trails in the High Weald.
A riverside celebration of the longest day of the year — sundowners, summer cocktails and a Beer & Burger deal at The River Haven.
Annual village fundraiser run by Northiam Bonfire Society, with craft stalls, a classic-vehicle display, dog show, live music and local ales on the Playing Field.
Two days of 1940s atmosphere at the Romney Marsh Wartime Collection — re-enactors, military vehicles and trade stands on the site of the WWII airfield RAF Brenzett.
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Anthony Marwood and Richard Lester's intimate four-day chamber music festival, in a quiet Norman parish church just outside Rye.
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A one-day food and drink festival across Ashford town centre — English Wine Week preview Friday evening, street food, cooking demos and live music from 10am to 7pm Saturday.
Hastings' four-day beer, cider and live-music festival at The Oval cricket ground, raising money for local charities since 1982.
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A free three-day community festival of live music, street food, artisan makers and family events on the Tenterden Recreation Ground each July.
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Five-day classical and contemporary music festival staged across medieval Romney Marsh churches and Hythe community spaces every July.
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A flat and fast 5k and 10k race series on Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, five Friday evenings from May to September, with a Junior Run for the kids.
Battle's two-week arts and music festival fills the abbey town's churches and venues with classical, jazz, theatre and a curtain-raising Scarecrow Festival, now in its seventeenth year.
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Bexhill's eight-day carnival closes with a town-wide procession on the final Saturday — themed 'Movies' for 2026, with Party in the Park at The Polegrove and floats touring the seafront.
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A free July weekender of pirate parades, sea shanties and family entertainment across Hastings Old Town and the Stade.
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Thirteen private gardens hidden behind Winchelsea's medieval and Georgian house fronts open on one National Garden Scheme ticket for a single Saturday each July.
A flat and fast 5k and 10k race series on Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, five Friday evenings from May to September, with a Junior Run for the kids.
A pirate procession, sea shanties, the Smugglers' Market on The Strand and best-dressed competitions take over Rye for one Saturday each August.
A traditional summer horticultural show with vegetables, fruit, flowers, baked goods, handicrafts and photography — all judged at the Rye Community Centre.
Five days of jazz, blues, soul, roots and Latin music across pubs, halls and street stages in Rye for the August bank holiday weekend.
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Romney Marsh's biennial homage to Doctor Syn, with smugglers vs redcoats, costumed parades and a beacon-lit weekend over August bank holiday.
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A flat and fast 5k and 10k race series on Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, five Friday evenings from May to September, with a Junior Run for the kids.
Eighteen days of classical music, author talks, drama and film across Rye's churches, theatres and historic venues each September.
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A weekend of fresh-off-the-boat seafood, Sussex and Kent wines and live music on the Stade — the working fishing beach in Hastings Old Town.
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Hermes Running's twin Bewl Water race days bring 10km, half marathon, marathon and 50km ultra distances to scenic woodland paths and lakeside trails in the High Weald.
Two days of regional wine, beer, spirits and food producers on the Salts in Rye each September.
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Over 500 re-enactors recreate the 1066 clash on the original battlefield, with Norman and Saxon encampments, falconry, a medieval market and a full staged battle.
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Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's mid-October torchlit procession through the Old Town, ending with a beach bonfire and fireworks.
Rye Bonfire Society's torchlit procession through the cobbled streets, with a beach bonfire and fireworks display over the Salts.
Morris dancers, drummers and giant green figures fill Hastings Old Town for May Day weekend, ending with the slaying of the Jack on West Hill.
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22 ensuite bedrooms, each with TV, hospitality tray, hairdryer and a breakfast of your choice.
Call 01797 227982 for the best rates.
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