Whitby Goth Weekend urges community and businesses to back its 25th anniversary

Sophie Peach, 18, from Catterick at a previous Whitby Goth Weekend. Picture: Ceri Oakes.

Event founder Jo Hampshire is keen to stress the show must go on, despite the main music acts relocating from Whitby Pavilion – which is hosting another Goth festival later in April – to Abbey Wharf, on the other side of town.

Whitby Goth Weekend is on from April 11 to 14 this year to coincide, for the first time, with the school Easter holidays.

Nicola Saunders-Jones and Jack Bean who were exhibiting their fashion brand Offend My Eyes in Whitby during Goth Weekend. Picture: Ceri Oakes.

Official fringe events at the Abbey Wharf are currently as follows:

Thursday April 11 – the Wandy Charity Fundraiser, with an evening of bands and DJs

Friday April 12 – Gothic, industrial and nu-metal music with DJ Jason

Saturday April 13 – Burty’s Big Stick of Rock, glam rock and metal music with DJ Burty Burton, followed by a David Bowie tribute act at a party inspired by Labyrinth

Sunday April 14 – 80s v 90s epic rock-off

Back as usual is the WGW Bizarre Bazaar, on from the Friday to the Sunday, with more than 100 stalls to browse – entry is free.

And The Green Dragon on Grape Lane is also supporting WGW with a beer tasting event, on from the Thursday to the Sunday, although numbers are limited.

Jo Hampshire, who founded Whitby Goth Weekend in 1994 - starting initially as a meet-up for friends before snowballing into the major crowd-puller it is now - is keen for more local businesses to get involved.

She wants to hear from you whatever ideas you’ve got, whether it is a gin night, coffin chocolates, black ice cream, or anything that runs in tandem with the weekend which has done so much to put Whitby on the map.

“The people who come here are a credit to themselves – we double the population of Whitby at the Goth Weekend and you can count on one hand the number of people who have ever been arrested,” she said.

“Goths have a very ‘live and let live’ lifestyle.

“We want to celebrate the ties we have with the community for our 25th anniversary and become a great celebration of all things alternative.

“Whitby is very special to me and we want to reinforce our relationship with the local business community.”

Email [email protected] with ideas for events to run as part of the weekend, or contact Jo via the WGW Facebook page.