Bandstand Kicks Off Festive Holidays with Christmas Day Spectacular

Eastbourne’s iconic Bandstand will provide a Christmas Day highlight for residents and visitors as the traditional free concert returns for a triple bill over the festive period.

With more than 4,000 festive fans expected, the seafront venue will provide yuletide entertainment on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day – all completely free of charge.

A long standing tradition, the concerts date back to 1935 and have grown in popularity ever since, along with a customary Boxing Day dip in the sea for the brave bunch of hardy swimmers!

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “These concerts have such a great atmosphere and are very popular as a pre-dinner delight for both residents and visitors alike.  With many hotels packed out with festive guests, these concerts are an important part of the Christmas package in Eastbourne and it is a delight to see so many join us in our beautiful resort for their festive break.”

Christmas Day sees the return of the Eastbourne Silver Band with traditional carols and classic Christmas songs in a pre-Christmas dinner treat.

The Ray Campbell Dance Band provide a refreshing alternative to the TV repeats on Boxing Day with a lively round up of festive hits and dancing, along with mulled wine to warm up the revellers.

For the third year running, the Bandstand will see a third concert in its festive calendar with The Ray Campbell Dance Band returning on New Years Day for some celebratory hits and a conga around the Bandstand, to welcome in the new year.

Concerts run from 10.45am to 12.15pm on Christmas Day, and from 11am to 12.30pm on both Boxing Day and New Years Day.  Entry is free.

For more information visit the Bandstand website or telephone 01323 410611.  For information on Christmas events and festive breaks visit the VisitEastbourne website. 

Airbourne Wins Best Free Airshow for Second Year Running

Airscene fans have voted Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow as the best free airshow in the country for the second time running in a recent poll by one of the UK’s leading airshow websites.



Vulcan at Airbourne 2012 (c. Graham Huntley)



Voted by visitors to Airscene.co.uk, the four day free airshow beat rival Bournemouth hands down, achieving nearly double the number of votes to win Best Free Airshow 2012 in the Airscene Awards.

Despite being nominated only as a free airshow, Airbourne still received 57% more votes than Duxford, the winner of the Best Airshow category, making Airbourne the most popular airshow in the UK.





Lynx at Airbourne 2012 (c. Graham Huntley)



Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “2012 was such an amazing year for Airbourne, from the spectacular Vulcan to the once-in-a-lifetime firework finale and Olympic closing ceremony celebration.  Thank you to everyone at Airscene who voted for us, this award is the icing on the cake from a momentous year and we look forward to providing a spectacular show for fans in 2013.”

Airbourne visitors were treated to Eastbourne’s first ever Vulcan display in 2012 attracting the show’s biggest ever audience on Saturday.  Many fans enjoyed a rare close-up glimpse of the jet in a flying hold over Beachy Head, before its display along the seafront to thousands. 

The Blades at Airbourne 2012 (c. Graham Huntley)

Social media forums were inundated with photos, video and comments following the display, with over 5,000 video views and a viral reach of 57,000 for Airbourne’s facebook page.

For fans who missed the show, exclusive photos and cockpit footage are still available to view online, including the Jet Provost display and the Royal Navy Raiders Parachute jump.  Fans can also share their own photos and video on the Airbourne Facebook page.

Airbourne returns in 2013 from Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 August, for more information visit www.eastbourneairshow.com.

For news updates, competitions, exclusive footage and airshow fun visit www.facebook.com/airbourneeastbourne or follow on twitter at www.twitter.com/EB_Airshow.

VisitEastbourne’s trip to the Enchanted Zoo

This weekend just passed saw the grand opening of the Drusillas Park Winter Wonderland Illuminations and VE were invited to take a peek!

Having visited Drusillas many times before I was really excited in anticipation to see what new additions had been added for this festive season this year. There certainly was no denying that on paper the new attractions sounded to be quite something. From hugging a Husky, festive winter warmer treats for the stomach and the pinnacle of the show; the Winter Wonderland Illuminations.

After touring the zoo itself and seeing all the incredible and different animals up close and personal, some extra close such as the Lemurs through the walk around Lemurland it was time to head for what we had come for…the Winter Wonderland arena. Going around the park we had sneak peaks of what was in store however when we set eyes upon the full display, Wow – we were blown away! A giant Santa’s grotto arena with giant reindeer and sleigh, Father & Mrs Christmas greeting little ones with surprises wrapped in paper! Not forgetting the jovial Santa’s little helper, the elf! It really was magical and like we had been transported to Lapland. Whilst waiting for the main display of the lights, we took full opportunity to grab something to eat in Explorers Restaurant. It was simply delightful, the food was delicious and the staff extremely pleasant and always very willing to help and extra friendly with the children.

Father&Mrs Christmas with his helpful elf

After we headed for the illuminations, there was just enough time to grab some delectable delights from Station Buffet including Mince Pies, Cinnamon coated Donuts and what would be required to keep us warm during the show – Mulled Wine!! Mmm



The Incredible Winter Wonderland Illuminations at Drusillas Park



Before we knew it the day had gone so fast and it was time to head over to the illuminations site. What happened next was simply magical. The whole atmosphere changed and it was one of the most festive experiences of my life. Christmas carols played to a packed out crowd of people as the winter lights started twinkling and glistening. Polar Bears and Penguins started glistening in the crystal black sky and the enchanted mystical icy river started to flow through the ice-capped kingdom. It was amazing and from this we could see easily why it’s creator, Paul Toole has been called ‘King of the Lights.’ All these fantastic lights were carefully choreographed to music and the extra special large screen of The Muppets gave the kids something to chuckle along to! Looking around, the looks on the faces of the children was something extra special and filled everyone with warmth. Their amazement at seeing such an experience was just pure wonder and something that I’m sure will have filled not only us, but them too with Christmas spirit. The only thing it left us wanting was a return visit and the moment when Father Christmas comes and squeezes himself down the chimney whilst Prancer, Rudolf & Co munch on the carrots left by the bed!

Twinkling Polar Bears & Penguins



A trip to Drusillas Park this Christmas is a must! Everything is epic and so perfectly thought out from start to finish. It’s Christmassy enough that even the biggest Scrooge would love it! If you would like to win a family ticket to Drusillas this Christmas, simply visit the VisitEastbourne Competition website here.

Located just off the A27, Drusillas Park is open from 10:00am until 5:00pm daily, with the exception of 24th, 25th and 26th December.  For further details please telephone (01323) 874100 or visit the website at www.drusillas.co.uk

Eastbourne Celebrates With a Month of Festive Fun Events

Eastbourne will be full of festive fun this December with a month long Christmas events programme of shopping events, free concerts and a winter wonderland of theme park illuminations at Drusillas Park, designed by the ‘King of Christmas Lights’.

Featuring real reindeer, huskies, street markets, cookie decorating, an outdoor town centre performance stage and a wide selection of Santa’s Grotto’s, Eastbourne will celebrate in style, culminating in a free Christmas Day concert at the iconic seafront bandstand.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “This is our busiest programme of Christmas events ever and it is fantastic to see so many businesses working together to put on such a fantastic show for the local community and the many visitors who celebrate their Christmas in the town.”

Kicking off the month long celebration, the Enterprise Shopping Centre open their weekend Santa’s Grotto on 1 December with a Christmas gift fair and complimentary mulled wine, along with the chance to return on 15 December to meet the lovable real reindeer. 

Real Reindeer at Enterprise Shopping centre

Santa takes up weekend residence at Sharnfold Farm from 1 December, and at Seven Sisters Country Park Visitor Centre, make lanterns, garlands and Christmas decorations in A Touch of Frost, suitable for children and adults alike.

For craft fans, head to the Redoubt fortress 1 – 2 December to make Victorian inspired Christmas decorations, part of the Eastbourne Christmas Artist Open Houses event taking place across the town.

Nearby Drusillas Park opens up Santa’s Christmas Cottage with the chance to hug a husky and view their brand new Winter Wonderland Illuminations from 1 December – 6 January with over 60,000 lights designed by Channel 4’s ‘King of Christmas Lights’ Paul Toole, in an animal themed display and synchronised to festive music.

Winter Wonderland Illuminations at Drusillas Park

Over 400 Santa’s hit the seafront on 2 December in the annual Santa Fun Run, jingling all the way in a 3 mile jog raising money for charity, and on 4 - 5 and 7 - 8 December, the Russian State Ballet and Opera House bring their magical production of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty to the Congress Theatre.

The weekly Christmas street market continues in Eastbourne town centre every Wednesday from 5 December, and on 6 December, new event Meads Magic in the heart of Meads village celebrates with Santa’s grotto, shopping, Christmas cookie decorating and more.  In the town centre, Centre Stage - a brand new outdoor stage featuring live entertainment from 3pm begins, along with mall entertainment in the Arndale Shopping Centre and late night shopping every Thursday until Christmas.

Little Chelsea Christmas

Little Christmas returns to the heart of Little Chelsea on 7 December with fairground rides, Santa’s grotto, real reindeer, treasure trails, hog roast and live music, and in the heart of Eastbourne’s Historic Old Town, HOT Christmas festivities on 8 December include street market, jugglers, choirs, Santa and Christmas crafts.

Over 2,000 primary school children from across East Sussex perform the Great Big Christmas Sing 11 – 13 December at the Congress Theatre, in a fun retelling of the nativity featuring Dinkey the amusing teenage donkey and a frantic Joseph, who late on Christmas Eve has forgotten to buy his present for Mary.

From 13 December to 13 January, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the traditional and highly acclaimed Eastbourne pantomime, starring Bernie Nolan at the Devonshire Park Theatre, this year’s spectacular performance features a fun filled jaunt through the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Santa opens up his grotto at Knockhatch Adventure Park from 15 December each weekend with soft play, quad-a-pillar rides and farm, and at the Congress Theatre on 18 December join Christmas with the Rat Pack and experience the sounds of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin at the famous Sands hotel, featuring seasonal classics such as White Christmas and Baby It’s Cold Outside.

Give the kids a treat the weekend before Christmas and join the Santa Special at Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway 22 – 23 December with train rides to Santa’s Grotto and festive drinks and mince pies for mums and dads.

On Christmas Day the iconic seafront Bandstand welcomes thousands of festive fans for a pre-dinner treat in a free Christmas Day Bandstand concert, featuring carols and traditional yuletide hits.  The first in a triple bill of festive concerts which continue on Boxing Day and New Years Day, the second of which is followed by a Boxing Day Walking Tour at 12.30 and 2.30pm by local tour guide Harry Pope, featuring historical and amusing anecdotes along the way.

Christmas Conga at The Bandstand

Towner, contemporary art museum, celebrate the winter season with their brand new Bon hiver exhibition, running from 1 December until 3 March, including star of the Tate Turbine Hall, Olafur Eliasson, and his installation ‘The Forked Forest Path’.

For more information on all Christmas events, plus opening times and prices, telephone 0871 663 0031 or visit www.visiteastbourne.com.

49 Shopping Days till Christmas!!

We’re in Christmas mode already here in the office and getting really excited about the return of our favourite time of year.   From plans to wear the worst Christmas jumpers at our office party – bobble knit reindeer woolly here we come!!  – to news of Eastbourne’s brand new festive event – Eastbourne Christmas HoHo - we're in for a real treat.

This year local businesses have got together to put on 3 weeks of shopping events all around the town with something pretty much every day and we can’t wait to get shopping!

If you attended Little Chelsea Christmas last year, then you’ll know Eastbourne really can do Christmas as the streets were packed with families, shoppers, stalls and rides.  Well, if that got you in the festive spirit then there’s even more to come this year, as Little Chelsea puts on a show once again on 7 Dec featuring Santa’s Grotto, hog roast, live music, fairground rides, treasure trails and the chance to meet real reindeer.

If you love reindeer then you’ll get a second chance to meet these adorable animals at Eastbourne Enterprise Shopping Centre on 15 Dec, just one of many weekend events at this fantastic collection of independent shops, and then there’s a whole host of entertainment to be had in the mall at Eastbourne Arndale Centre and a new Eastbourne Centre Stage outdoor performance area in the precinct.

However its Meads and Old Town who have really pushed the boat out this year with the launch of their brand new events – Meads Magic on 6 Dec – from Santa’s Grotto and carol singing to Christmas cookie decorating, plus late night shopping, mulled wine and mince pies – yum!  Or HOT Christmas in Old Town on 8 Dec with kids choirs, jugglers, Santa and street market featuring crafts, cards, wreaths and fresh produce.

Plus of course there’s always the chance to stock up on stocking fillers and Christmas food every Wednesday at Eastbourne Street Market, plus a special Sunday market on 9 Dec and late night shopping in the town centre till 9pm on Thursdays.

We think this will be a Christmas to remember and I for one will be out there supporting our retailers at this fantastic celebration of festive shopping – bring it on Santa, hope you’ve got a bigger sack this year!!

Eastbourne Christmas HoHo runs from 1 - 23 Dec with the following events: 

Enterprise Centre 1 (gift fair), 8, 9, 15 (reindeer), 16, 22, 23 Dec

Eastbourne Street Market every Wednesday plus Sunday 9 Dec (9.30am - 3pm)

Late Night Shopping every Thursday (until 9pm)

Eastbourne Centre Stage live performances every Thursday (3-8pm)

Arndale Christmas entertainment 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 20, 22 Dec

Meads Magic 6 Dec (3.30 - 7pm)

Little Chelsea Christmas 7 Dec (5.30 - 10pm)

HOT (Historic Old Town) Christmas 8 Dec (2.30 - 6.30pm)

For latest news on Eastbourne Christmas HoHo visit their facebook page.

More Festive Fun
For a full list of all Christmas events in Eastbourne including shopping, theatre, local attraction festivities and the return of the free Christmas concerts at the Bandstand visit our listing at VisitEastbourne  

Happy shopping festive fans!!

Tracey

Since my last update I’ve been collecting medals like an Olympic cyclist!!!

In the last six weeks, I’ve completed three superb half marathons - Maidenhead, Bristol and Cardiff.  I’ve found these mass participation races very rewarding and they’ve provided much needed motivation for those long weekend runs. To help build up my mileage I’ve been tagging some extra miles onto these runs – not easy when you’ve got your heart set on a celebratory pint.

For my last two long runs I’ve been accompanied by Diana Johnson (Pictured - Sarah’s mum) – a true inspiration.  Diana and Grahams vast running experience has helped with my own discipline and have been a great influence on my running, between them many marathons and hundreds of half marathons.  Among the many nuggets, my favourite has to be the Johnson family mantra of ‘start slow and taper down’.  Always make me smile and insights like that ensure that running remains fun without unnecessary pressure.  That and Graham’s (Sarah’s Dad) never ending supply of running socks - for some reason, I keep forgetting to pack them!   For the final stages of the Eastbourne Marathon it will be the Johnson grit and determination which I’ll be storing in the back of my mind and unleashing when I need to dig deep.

So we’re in the final countdown before the starter’s gun. 

Conditions may be variable but I’m looking forward to taking in the sights of Beachy Head and finishing with a smile on my face. 

Wish us all luck

….now where did I put those socks?

Allan and Diana Johnson

Eastbourne’s Frightful Family Half Term Fun

From The Big Draw to one of the biggest spook-fests on the south coast at Drusillas Park, there is plenty to keep the little horrors happy this half term at VisitEastbourne.com.

Launching with a weekend of creative fun at Towner, The Big Draw embraces the world’s biggest celebration of drawing with a free event on 27 - 28 October, centring around the campfire with youngsters invited to create their own Towner Tale in a variety of story making zones.

The return of Shriek Week from 27 October to 4 November at nearby Drusillas Park conjures up some spook-tacular fun.  Visit Winifred the Witch, as she plays hide and seek in her creepy cobwebbed Haunted Cottage and meet some mini monsters at Creepy Crawlies day on 28 October from hissing cockroaches and giant millipedes to large fanged tarantulas.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “It is fantastic to see so much going on this half term for kids, and a great chance for Mums and Dads to enjoy a bit of seasonal fun too.  With some great special offers on accommodation and attractions at VisitEastbourne.com, this is the perfect place to take a break, explore the national park and enjoy some late Autumn sunshine.”

The half term week kicks off with the Beachy Head Marathon on 27 October, one of the UK’s biggest off-road sporting spectaculars and a great opportunity to explore the stunning national park route. 

Also on 27 October, Princes Park’s brand new Pistachios in the Park café offers some theatrical fun with Wendy the Sneezing Witch, for an hour of stories and spooky silliness, followed by a free Diddi Dance class on 30 October and a guest appearance by Monkey Music on 2 November.

Knockhatch Adventure Park brings more Halloween fun with face painting, a ghost hunt and guess the weight of the pumpkin, to name but a few, and at Sharnfold Farm, get prepared for a fright-fest with a Wicked Witch Hunt and pumpkin carving, with both attractions running events from 27 – 31 October.

For historic fun, complete the Halloween trail at the Redoubt Napoleonic Fortress & Military Museum with a prize for every child at the end, or nearby Herstmonceux features a beautiful 15^th century moated castle in Elizabethan gardens and parkland, the perfect setting for the Treasures by the Moat antiques fair on 28 October.

Head to the South Downs, explore the Seven Sisters Country Park and follow the Gruffalo’s Child on 29 October through the woods to meet a scary mouse and some of the other animals living in Friston Forest.  Organised by Sussex Wildlife Trust, children can take part in hands on activities around a camp fire, or join the Autumn Camp on 30 October to find out how to light a fire, cook your own food and build a shelter.

For a rainy day escape, hop on the magic carpet for a Disney double bill of The Jungle Book Kids and Aladdin Jr at Devonshire Park Theatre from 31 October – 3 November, featuring high energy productions of two of Disney’s best loved classics.

For genuine haunts, head to Michelham Priory, from TV’s Most Haunted, for Hallowe’en fun on 31 October with Punch & Judy, stories, drama, arts and crafts, face painting and spooky trails through the house and gardens.  Pevensey Castle is also a must for ghost hunters with dark dungeons and a resident ghost – ‘the Pale Lady of Pevensey’.

VisitEastbourne.com offers a range of half term special offers on accommodation and downloadable vouchers for discounted entry to attractions all year round, including 2 for 1’s and kids go free.

For a full round up of Halloween and half term events or to download special offer vouchers, visit www.visiteastbourne.com.