Sidmouth is gearing up for the return of its annual festival of music and local food – Sea Fest – next month.

Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub are hoping Sea Fest is back with a bang in 2022, with the theme being Kelp Our Oceans, reflecting a positive environmental focus on learning, having fun and creating around seaweeds.

The theme is topical given the climate emergency and Sidmouth’s coastal location.

The event will kick off with a Friday night fundraiser on May 20 on The Ham which will feature live bands, DJs and a bar with local food.

On Saturday, May 21, the main event will start at 10am with a mix of art, crafts, local groups, music dance and literature as well as environmental activities culminating in a special evening of entertainment.

Sidmouth Community Choir will kick off the main stage events at 11am followed by a full day with music, art and an early evening show with Sidmouth’s own Goronwy Thom, well known for his street comedy shows. Two beach cleans are being planned for the Saturday by Sidmouth Plastic Warriors.

Sidmouth Sailing Club will be hosting a Scorpions Championship on the day and the area will see plenty of activity with a Sea Fest road closure from the lifeboat station to the turning circle.

Organisers, the Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub, said they are ‘very pleased’ to have the support of Sidmouth Town Council/Visit Sidmouth, and a host of other local sponsors.

They said this support means the free community event on Saturday can go ahead despite the event having been paused for two years due to the pandemic.

Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub Director Louise Cole, said: “It feels like we all need, after the last two difficult years and with current events as they are, to reconnect and get together to have some time to enjoy the moment.”

Artistic Director Coco Hodgkinson said: “Sea Fest is a shared platform so people can find out about some of the amazing things our community groups are doing whilst nurturing ourselves a little bit - listening to live music, making and creating and having a bite to eat in a creative and relaxed way.”

To book tickets for the Friday night event, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sidmouth-sea-fest-2022-friday-fundraising-party-night-tickets-294837546037. Alternatively, tickets can also be purchased from Paragon Books, High Street, Sidmouth.