Bridlington Prepares for Spectacular 10th Annual Kite Festival

The skies above Sewerby cliff top are set to burst with colour this weekend as the Bridlington Kite Festival returns for its 10th anniversary.

Described as a fun, family-friendly festival, the event has grown year on year and is organised by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Visit East Yorkshire events team.

Kites of all shapes, sizes, and colours will fly high over Bridlington Bay from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May. Visitors can expect to see some of the world’s largest inflatable kites, adding a splash of colour to the clifftops. These include big, beautiful bears and swaying, slithering snakes. A particular highlight is the largest teddy bear kite in the world, which comes over each year and is noted as a real spectacle.

Tourism events and projects manager for Visit East Yorkshire - Adam Toes - says there will be an international flavour to the event.

It's the 10th year anniversary, which is remarkable. 

And this event is growing year on year. We've got lots for the family to do, lots for the family to see.

The northern kite group is the group that we work with closely to, to put the festival on and these guys travel to various events across the country and further afield into Europe and the rest of the world and on demonstrations.

We've got international recognized kite flyers from all over the country, and we've also got Team Ireland coming over this year. 

Lots of food and drink children's activities. And it, yeah, it's a fantastic festival up on Sewerby Cliff top

Adam says the event will feature some well known kites and some new attractions and hopes the event will encourage visitors to return to the town for other events.

"One of the showcase kites that we have is the largest teddy bear kite in the world. And that comes over each year.

And that's a real spectacle. , We've got some fantastic demonstrations. To music. And there'll be all sorts of different kites.

And we're also hoping this year to have a, a nice branded visit, east Yorkshire Kite flying, which will be the first time. One of , the experts will be flying that and that should be flying for the full weekend. And obviously.

Our brand is all about trying to get people to the coast, to the east ride in. So hopefully people will not only come to the Kite Festival, but they'll come back to the coast and some of the towns throughout the year."

Beyond the breathtaking aerial displays, the festival offers numerous activities for families. Visitors can have-a-go with loaned kites during supervised sessions or purchase their own from the kite stalls. The popular parachuting teddy bear drops are also back. Additional family entertainment includes fairground rides, facepainting, giant bubble fun, a free bootcamp challenge, and freefall inflatables.

Food and drink options will be plentiful, with street food vendors, dessert stalls, beverage stands, and ice cream vans available.

The festival also proudly hosts three charity stalls: the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and Bridlington Sea Cadets, all of which make an important contribution to the local area.

Admission to the event is free, and dogs on leads are welcome. The festival is located on Sewerby cliff top. Visitors can arrive via the land train running between Sewerby Hall and Gardens and Bridlington Leisure Centre, which stops right next to the event field. Nearest car parks include Sewerby Picnic Car Park and Limekiln Lane Car Park, and attendees are advised to download the MiPermit app for card payment.