Scarborough Seafest returns this weekend at its new home of Scarborough Spa, featuring a massive eighteen-and-a-half-thousand-piece Lego recreation of the historic venue.
Scarborough Seafest is set to make a splash this weekend as the popular community event relocates to Scarborough Spa, bringing with it a unique architectural tribute.
Taking place from Friday the 17th to Sunday the 19th of July, the free festival marks a significant part of the wider Scarborough 400 celebrations, commemorating four centuries since the town became Britain's first seaside spa resort.
To celebrate the venue's rich history, Lee Threadgold from Animated Objects Theatre Company has designed and built a scale model of Scarborough Spa entirely out of Lego.
Lee Threadgold explained the extensive research and effort required to recreate the iconic building:
"It's got about 18 and a half thousand bricks in it altogether.
I looked at Verity and Hunt's original architectural drawings from when they rebuilt it after the terrible fire of 1876. I've broken that down bit by bit, looked at how we can use LEGO to recreate the architectural features, and the scale of the building. So it's the same as the little minifigures that most people will be familiar with LEGO.
Once I designed that in 3D software, it's then putting the instructions together, sourcing the parts from all over the country. We had to go to nearly 100 different secondhand LEGO resellers to find all the different bits and pieces and then working hours and hours to recreate that.
And some of the staff here at the spa have been great as well and they've also joined in with that build."
The intricate design of the venue provided a unique challenge compared to standard commercial Lego kits.
Lee Threadgold shared his experience of piecing the model together:
"It's actually, it's a really satisfying build, I have to say. I've been a bit of a LEGO head for quite a long time and some of the big models that LEGO manufacture, you sometimes get into a little bit of a rut and you go, oh, this is actually, it's getting a little bit dull.
Whereas the Spa is full of little sort of twists and surprises and bits of architecture that you just don't expect until you get to look at it in real detail.
And it's been lovely to see it grow. At the minute, we're on, I'd say it's probably about 6 ft wide at the moment, but it'll be just over 7 by the time we finished. So it's an impressive looking model."
Following the Seafest weekend, the impressive structure will remain in the town.
Lee Threadgold confirmed the model's future:
"It's going to be on permanent display down here at the Spa. So uh from it will probably be from the middle of August onwards. Once we've got the right display case for it, um it will be going on display here so the public can enjoy it for many years to come."
Alongside the Lego exhibition, the three-day festival promises live music, street entertainment, local art, and a Saturday evening fireworks display before headline act Sunbeam perform in the Spa Grand Hall.
A major highlight of the weekend will be the live cooking demonstrations in the Promenade Lounge, headlined by renowned chef and food writer Ryan Riley. The founder of Life Kitchen, who was awarded a British Empire Medal by the King in the 2026 New Year Honours for his work helping cancer patients experiencing taste loss, will take to the stage on both Saturday and Sunday.
He will be joined by a host of culinary experts from across the Yorkshire Coast, including chefs from Scarborough's Embers Restaurant, Eat Me Cafe, and Wolds Restaurant, as well as the Hotel Victoria in Robin Hood's Bay.
Organisers say the event aims to provide accessible entertainment for families during the summer holidays.
Councillor Simon Myers highlighted the importance of the free community festival:
"We love free festivals, don't we?
Some of the things councils can do in terms of providing really a bit of relief to parents in terms of attacks on their wallets, and what do you do to entertain your children? You know, and this is a really good example of it, free to everyone and something there for everybody. And a great way to keep your children and your parents entertained for a few days. And of course, you might learn some really good skills.
It's something for everyone, isn't it? Young and old, everybody can join in and it's about celebrating Scarborough and its communities."
Scarborough Seafest runs from the 17th to the 19th of July at Scarborough Spa with free admission for all visitors.
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