Filey Kite Festival is to be extended to a third evening for the first time to give more visitors the opportunity to enjoy colourful displays, family activities and high-flying entertainment on the Yorkshire coast.
The free event, which is organised by North Yorkshire Council and the Northern Kite Group, will run from Friday, 18 September, to Sunday, 20 September, at Filey Brigg Country Park.
New for this year, the festival will launch with a spectacular Friday Night Flight on September 18, where illuminated kites will take to the skies at dusk.
Since it was first held in 2020, the Filey Kite Festival has welcomed between 8,000 and 10,000 visitors each year with hundreds of kites filling the skies.
This year’s festival promises giant inflatable kites, precision stunt kites, artistic creations, competition kites and family favourites such as the much-loved flying cows.
Executive member for culture, arts and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said:
“This promises to be a fantastic event with the skies above Filey Brigg filled with amazing kites.
“Families will have plenty of opportunities to get involved and children can take part in kite-making workshops, where they can create and decorate their own kites before taking them outside to see them fly.
“Filey Brigg Country Park is a fantastic venue for a kite festival. Its wide-open spaces and coastal breeze create perfect flying conditions, allowing us to showcase an incredible variety of kites.”
The event will also feature a dedicated “learn to fly arena” offering visitors of all ages the chance to experience kite flying for themselves. Kites will be available to borrow, and experienced flyers will be on hand to provide guidance and tips.
The event and programme timetable are subject to change depending on wind and general weather conditions.
Event programme
Friday evening:
- Illuminated kites will light up the sky creating a striking display against the evening skyline.
Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 4pm:
- 10am and 2.30pm: Pallas family flyers will perform with a two-line display of kites to music.
- 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm: Graham Lockwood will conduct a display with multiple kites.
- 11am and 1.30pm: Team Orion will perform with a four-line display of kites to music.
- 11.30am and 2pm: Skytracks will showcase kite ballet to music.
- Noon and 2pm: Teddy bear drop, where teddies will be flown down on a parachute for children to catch.
- Noon: Chinese Dragon display.
- 4pm: The event will come to a close.
