by Rebecca Hannant
The 31st annual Withstock event, organised by Withernsea Town Council, will take place this weekend.
Valley Gardens will host the free two-day live music festival on Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, with entertainment for the whole family.
Fourteen live bands are lined up to perform between 1pm and 10.30pm across the weekend, with Saturday’s headliners the Fooz and Sunday’s finale from Guns N Yorkshire Roses.
Seaside FM will be compering from the stage and keeping audiences informed throughout the weekend, while Africa Studios will provide sound and lighting. The festival will also feature food and trade stalls, craft and charity stalls, a bar, children’s activities and entertainment in the star tent, a messy gazebo for children, plus dragons, giant birds and animals for the obligatory selfie.
A cosplay Transformer and Storey’s fairground will also be part of the weekend, while Sunday will see the return of the East Yorkshire Thoroughbred Car Show along the seafront and promenade.
A grand prize draw raffle will run throughout the weekend, with a £100 cash top prize and hampers and vouchers for local businesses.
A spokeswoman for Withernsea Town Council said: “We have a very small team of volunteers who work tirelessly during the year to bring the event to Withernsea. In these difficult economic times, we’re more mindful than ever of the need to attract people into the town during the summer months.
“We’re thankful to the many people who support the event year after year – some even plan their holidays around Withstock weekend.
“The event brings increased footfall into the town, benefiting local businesses and the wider economy.
“We must thank our sponsors – Hobson & Porter, Game King, First Aid Skills UK, RAOB, Withernsea Lions, Glamordent, the Old Boat Shed, Withernsea Town Council, Visit East Yorkshire – and all the small businesses who have contributed raffle prizes. We couldn’t deliver this event without them.
“We’ve come a long way since the early days of bands on the back of a trailer in Valley Gardens. It started with strong roots thanks to Pete Suddaby and Kev Lythe, and we want to keep it going for many years to come.
“If you enjoy the weekend, please buy raffle tickets and dig deep when the collection comes around – we need your support for 2026.
“We’ll be setting up a GoFundMe page soon – please look out for it and donate if you can. Costs are rising, and revenue is decreasing.”