The inaugural Summer Fest At The Beach brought huge names to Weston-super-Mare and transformed the seafront into one of the most exciting music venues in the South West. But while Sunday’s sunshine allowed the festival to run almost exactly as planned, it was Saturday that will live longest in the memory.
As gale-force winds swept across the beach and rain lashed the site, organisers faced an enormous challenge. Some performances were affected, with Sophie Ellis-Bextor unable to perform and Scouting for Girls delivering a shortened set as safety rightly remained the priority throughout the day.
for those who stayed, something remarkable happened
What could have been remembered simply as a weather-hit festival instead became a shared experience that felt entirely unique. As artists battled the elements on stage and thousands of festival-goers stood firm on the sand, a special bond developed between performers and audience.
Every song, every cheer and every successful set felt earned. The drenched crowd produced their own energy, the bands fed off that, appreciated their staying power and returned the energy and love in bucket and spade loads.
The Day Summerfest earned its place in Weston folklore
The world’s most famous festivals all have their folklore. Glastonbury has its mud-soaked legends and stories passed down through generations of festival-goers. Summerfest At The Beach may have found its own defining moment in its very first year.
Years from now, people won’t just say they were at the first Summerfest At The Beach. They’ll say they were there on the Saturday.
One of our team, Jodie Haslam, was among those who weathered the storm from start to finish. Here’s her personal account of a day that felt less like a unique and very special shared experience.
Inside Summerfest’s most Memorable Day
By Jodie Haslam
Summer Fest At The Beach was always going to be memorable – massive names such as Madness, Craig David, The Hoosiers, Dizzee Rascal, Scouting for Girls and many more performing on the beach, here in Weston-super-Mare.
What followed was more memorable than anyone could have imagined. Saturday’s gale-force winds and diagonal rain turned the festival from a straightforward celebration of live music into something far more distinctive – a shared experience that for those who were there, toughing it out and standing in the sinking sand, will be talking about for years to come.
Some performances were affected, some festival-goers understandably headed home early and parts of the site fell victim to the weather. RIP Madri Land and the Thatchers Balloon Bar while parts of the VIP area were closed down. But those who remained in the lashing rain and brutal winds were treated to something very special.
What followed was something that can’t be planned, bought or programmed into a festival schedule.
After a pause in acts performing due to the weather, as soon as a whisper of an instrument appeared the crowd was gripped. As soon as we heard that first chord played, we all went wild, and that elation stayed with us for the rest of the day. As every artist battled the elements on stage and the audience stood firm on the beach (kind of, there were some big puddles) a genuine connection formed between performer and crowd. Every song felt so hard-earned. Every cheer felt louder. Every successful performance felt like a shared miracle.
When Feeder took to the stage, there was a sense of a collective bond that transformed the atmosphere. What could have been a disappointing day as it looked more and more likely that the festival would be cancelled, became a true underdog story of people and performers all struggling together through (typical) UK Summer weather. It’s a day that everyone who was there will remember (and will have anecdotes to tell about it) for years.
Standing there with the other Saturday-stayers, it was kind of easy to feel like we were all witnessing something iconic, like in the legendary mud soaked images of Glastonbury, but the sand covered version (it turns out sand is a lot easier to clean off trainers though). Enduring those difficult moments often become part of a festival’s identity and those who stayed became part of something unexpected but heartening that’s defined Summerfest’s very first year.
Sunday’s better weather brought calmer conditions and a chance for the festival site to really shine. Visitors could enjoy the full range of food, drink and funfair attractions on offer in the spacious site, while taking in spectacular views across Weston Bay. People were able to relax in seated areas and I personally spent a big portion of the day very envious of anyone with one of the free Thatchers bucket hats from the VIP area. Yet, even with sunshine returning, conversation continually drifted back to the previous day.
Because, not to oversell it, it felt like such a momentous day. Years from now, people won’t simply just say that they attended the first Summerfest At The Beach. They’ll purposely say that they were there on the Saturday (or to be honest that they all survived the Saturday together).
But it’s a distinction that really matters. For a debut event, it’s a powerful foundation on which to build future years on. To end each night with an ecstatic crowd and to have everyone leave with many new great memories, is exactly what you want from a festival…And also a bucket hat.
So, come rain, or more rain and wind, I’m already looking forward to the next Summerfest At The Beach!
For our full gallery of Summerfest 2026 pictures click here