St Annes Kite Festival returns this weekend with record number of flyers
04.09.2023 - 11:29
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Hundreds of kites will take to the skies above St Annes this weekend when the much-loved festival returns.
The annual event pulls in visitors from miles around and sees kite flyers come together from across the UK and beyond.
This year the team at SmileFactor10, in partnership with Fylde Council, has announced its biggest-ever festival with more than 200 flyers - and it will run for longer too.
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The free event kicks off on Friday afternoon, September 8, running from 1pm to 10pm. It will then take place over the weekend from 11am on both days, finishing at 5pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.
Six arenas will span the beach on either side of St Annes Pier, with more kites than ever before taking to the air for what promises to be 'a truly spectacular event'.
Stunning handmade art kites will dance in the breeze, and 2-line and 4-line sport kite flyers will perform 'incredible choreographed feats of flying' in the main arena.
The 'best of the best' homegrown flyers will stand alongside some of the world’s greatest kite makers and flyers, including teams from Ireland, Germany, India, Norway, France and Holland.
Families are encouraged to take their own kites along too, or buy a kite to fly on the beach.
By extending the festival into Friday afternoon, organisers hope to make the event even more accessible to visitors, particularly those who work weekends or wish to visit at a quieter time.
Sunset on Friday will see floodlights spring into action to illuminate the giant inflatable kites on the north side of the pier. On the south side, daytime kites will be given a new lease of life with brightly coloured LEDs and dazzling effects, dancing in the sky until the