High drama and wise words as First Light Festival returns

The 24-hour First Light Festival will take centre stage in Lowestoft at noon on Saturday, June 18 and run continuously until noon on Sunday, June 19.

After the success of the inaugural First Light Festival in 2019, which saw more than 30,000 people attending Lowestoft’s South Beach, Kensington Gardens and promenades, Britain’s only free, 24-hour, non-stop multi-arts and science festival will return next month as it celebrates the light of midsummer.

A spokesman for the First Light Festival said: "It was conceived as part of the vision for the cultural regeneration for South Beach and also for wider cultural regeneration for the town as a whole."

This year's non-stop, innovative arts festival on Lowestoft’s South Beach will feature a range of headline acts.

And a series of spoken word activities will take place across the 24 hours in the inaugural First Word Zone.

From chart-topping wordsmiths to celebrated storytellers, the festival will be bringing the best in spoken word, comedy and theatre to Lowestoft’s South Beach.

Curated by award-winning poet Luke Wright, the inaugural First Word programme will take place across the festival weekend.

Offering a programme of poetry, spoken word, cabaret, theatre, comedy, open-mic and dance, comedian Mark Thomas will bring his new show to the festival for the headline ticketed slot.

Other acts include author and broadcaster Salena Godden, Scottish poet and stand-up comedian Elvis McGonagall and Dr Mike Garry, a librarian for 15 years who went on to win live poetry events across the UK

The First Light Festival spokesman said: "The festival is also delighted to be showcasing brand new work for Britain’s premier new writing theatre company High Tide Theatre, a late-night stand-up comedy club featuring Joe Wells and Marcel Lucont, and four story-telling shows from the Inn Crowd, including James McDermott and Suki Silvertongue."

For further details on the festival and programme, please visit its website.