East Suffolk Council

With the return of the popular First Light Festival this weekend and several major projects approaching completion on the seafront, Lowestoft is set for an incredible summer and East Suffolk Council is playing a leading role.   

As one of the event’s major funders, East Suffolk Council welcomes the return of the First Light Festival to Lowestoft on 18 and 19 June.  

The free festival, which attracted 30,000 people in 2019, celebrates Lowestoft's location on the east coast and helps to position Lowestoft as a ‘must-visit’ destination.East Suffolk Council is supporting the unique 24-hour event with £200,000 of funding, agreed in September 2021.  

This funding has helped ensure an exciting programme of arts activities including music, dance, theatreand performance is available for everyone to enjoy at First Light 2022, which is organised by First Light CIC and held on Lowestoft’s award-winning South Beach. 

Meanwhile, and to coincide with the festival, the newly refurbished East Point Pavilion will open on 17 June. This iconic building is owned by East Suffolk Council and has been undergoing extensive refurbishments over the past six months to create an open, light and modern space for residents and visitors to enjoy, with a mix of food traders and a space for community and cultural activities. It will be operated by First Light CIC. 

The Council’s brand new ‘Eastern Edge’ beach huts are also nearly complete as is the new South Beach boardwalk. 

Cllr Craig Rivett, East Suffolk’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Economic Development said: “This is such an exciting time for Lowestoft as a number of key projects which will drive huge interest in the town approach completion. We are also really looking forward to the return of First Light, which attracts visitors from across the country, boosts the local economy and really puts the town on the map.  

“The festival was developed as part of our ambitious plans to enhance Lowestoft's South Beach, and the town itself, and has led the way for other innovative projects along the seafront, including the refurbishment of the East Point Pavilion, a new accessible boardwalk, and the new contemporary Eastern Edge beach huts.  

“All of these projects, as well as other major redevelopments planned for the town centre in future, will help spread the word about Lowestoft as an attractive visitor destination, encouraging more people to spend time here,while also creating a thriving place to live for local communities.” 

Construction is nearing completion on the boardwalk which will enable people with disabilities to access the South Beach more easily. Completion is expected this week, in time for the First Light Festival.  

The boardwalk project has been led by the Waveney Disability Forum, who have worked closely with East Suffolk Council to consider how people with disabilities, particularly wheelchair users, as well as people with pushchairs, could gain access to the beach. 

Additionally, 72 contemporary beach huts, known as Eastern Edge, are approaching completion on the seafront. Designed by Norwich-based architects Chaplin Farrant, the new huts are being built on two levels and face partially south to ensure maximum sunshine throughout the day. The tips of the structures face eastwards, reflecting Lowestoft’s position as the most easterly location in the country. 

Of the 72 huts, 36 are available for sale and 36 are available to hire on a weekly basis through a dedicated booking website. Ten of the most central huts have been designed to be more easily accessible and these are also available for hire.  

Whilst completion of all huts is not expected until next month, a small number of the Eastern Edge huts are now finished and will be available to hire over the First Light Festival weekend. Hire will be on a first come, first served basis and bookings can be made by calling 01502 586167 or emailing lowestoft.beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.  

Sales enquiries for huts can be made to Paul Hubbard Estate Agents by calling 01502 531218 or emailing info@paulhubbardonline.com  

The First Light Festival is also supported by Arts Council England, Suffolk County Council and the New Anglia LEP. For the full programme, visit www.firstlightlowestoft.com 

Find out more about the East Point Pavilion.