Festival of the Sea drops anchor AGAIN in Grimsby Town Centre on Saturday 21 June 2025

Festival of the Sea’s 2025 programme is shaping up to be a fantastic day out for families and people of all ages on Saturday 21st June.

The exciting programme of activities, performances, guided walks, installations, and workshops include: 

• Seafood Crafts & Ocean Mural with TARGET NEL: Get hands-on with seafood-themed crafts while learning about different types of seafood and their nutritional benefits. Then, join in to create a big Ocean Mural filled with healthy messages.

• “Save the Sea” with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue: marine-themed crafts and a fun competition to win adorable cuddly sea creatures.

• “The Sushi Stakeout” by Grubby Knees: A fast-paced, 20-minute heartfelt show packed with laughs, local flavour, and squabbling seagulls fighting over chips.

• “Exploring the water connection” with Grimsby Tours: Join Emma Lingard for a guided walk through Grimsby’s deep-rooted connection to the sea and waterfront, past and present.

Now in its fifth year, the festival has welcomed thousands of visitors to enjoy live cooking demos and water activities, celebrating the town’s rich maritime history and exploring the future. In 2025 the festival got "Highly Commended" as Festival of the Year at the Greater Lincolnshire Tourism Awards.

In 2025 the focus leads on making the festival more accessible and sustainable, to ensure all people of Grimsby and beyond can enjoy the day. This includes new sensory workshops: creating calm, engaging spaces for individuals who benefit from tactile and sensory-based experiences. The organisers are also working with Vehicles for Change to bring their RevoLOOtion accessible toilets to the festival. Through this collaboration it is aimed to remove barriers that often prevent disabled individuals from attending public events. Together, these additions support a more inclusive festival environment, where everyone has the opportunity to take part with comfort and dignity.

By focusing on its central theme, the Festival of the Sea aims to raise awareness and educate the public about one of our planet’s most vital yet often overlooked climate allies - the ocean, which plays a crucial role in absorbing heat and carbon on a global scale. The festival's educational programming will explore topics such as seafood, as well as the history and future of healthy, responsible eating.

The Festival of the Sea team is trying to provide as many opportunities for young people as possible, and therefore will be taking one Young Music Promoter on board to help curate the music programme of this year’s festival. This is an opportunity for the art, music and culture lovers, who want to pursue their career in music and festivals industry and gain an amazing practical experience, make connections and support the festival while delivering its vision of being inclusive, sustainable and supportive for the local artists.

To apply for the opportunity visit the website to get more information or apply directly to production@swansevents.co.uk with your CV and a Cover Letter.

The festival is proudly supported by North East Lincolnshire Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cllr Hayden Dawkins, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy, said: ““I am absolutely delighted that this Festival will once again provide a showcase not only for our area, but also for our local creative talent. It will be packed with family entertainment, and is a perfect way to show how our past, great heritage can be brought into the modern day using the creativity and talent that now exists.”.

Festival of the Sea is generously sponsored by Ørsted community fund. Ørsted has supported the festival for many years, helping it to grow and thrive.

Follow Festival of the Sea on social media @festivalofsea @swans_events