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The South Coast’s most celebrated festival of arts and culture is nearly upon us, so it’s time to recap the amazing array of activities and talent on show and start planning the weekend visit.

Arts by the Sea Festival 2023 is days away, and now is the time to start planning visits to make the most of Bournemouth’s renowned festival of arts, culture, people and place. Taking place from Friday 29th September to Sunday 1st October across Bournemouth’s beautiful outdoor spaces spanning from the Civic Centre (Bournemouth Town Hall), across the gardens, out to Beale’s Place, and down to Pier Approach and the Beach; over 100 creatives both local and international are scheduled to appear. 120,000 visitors of all ages are expected to descend on Bournemouth, each ready to experience an exciting array of large scale spectaculars, music, street theatre, creative workshops, interactive installations, escapist entertainment and much more.

The theme of Arts by the Sea 2023 is MOMENT, and organisers invite guests to take a moment, aided by artists, musicians and performers using the power of creativity to bring people into the present.

Any visitors to Arts by the Sea should make time for some unmissable highlights. Friday evening from 6pm to 10pm is the opening spectacular, which sees the landmark Civic Centre (Bournemouth Town Hall) transformed with colourful 3D projection mapping displays of images and video created by The Media Workshop, and the multidisciplinary artist Annie Nicholson from Fandangoe Kid STUDIO. The enthralling soundtrack comes courtesy of the specialist music programming team at The Hush Club, which also brings its famous sequin box to serve up cocktails, beers and soft drinks to enjoy alongside the rolling projections all night long.

As a real treat on Friday at 7:30pm, there will be a special 20-minute audio-visual mix of moments taken from across the BCP region, performed live by highly respected turntablist DJ Yoda. The Media Workshop, who produced this mix, used AI to search for ‘human moments’ with the idea that AI is a reflection of humanity. Visitors can head to the Civic Centre to see what the AI came up with.

For those who can’t make the opening spectacular on Friday, the piece can also be experienced as a binaural sound production through wireless headphones on Saturday and Sunday evening from 6-10pm, accompanied by an original soundscape composition created by Kilmo of The Hush Club. 

Another must-visit is the world premiere of PORTAL by Lucid Creates. This towering 15m tall archway will open on Bournemouth Beach at midday on Wednesday 27th September with 24 hour access until Wednesday 4th October. The awe-inspiring structure is lined with shifting lights that create a mesmerising and ethereal display. Each time the portal is viewed, it delivers a different experience, but those making plans can ensure a magical view of this creation by visiting at sunrise or sunset.

Music lovers are in for a wonderful weekend at Arts by the Sea. All weekend, the bandstand is the place to be with a full lineup of talented bands, choirs, and performers. Visit  https://artsbythesea.co.uk/zone/bandstand/ to get timings for sets from High Shelf Remedy, Love Soul Choir, BLVCK VIOLET, Gasper Nali and more. Music will also roam Lower Gardens with TOAST by Pif Paf (Sat from 1pm) and Big Gay Disco Bike (Saturday and Sunday from 1pm), bringing the fun. Or visitors can head to the Orchestra of Objects installation also at Lower Gardens to make their own music on Saturday and Sunday from 11am until 7pm.

Arts by the Sea is always popular with families, and this year, there is plenty for them to do. The Mix & Match Family Trail offers a host of activities and things to experience, from joining in Playful, Creative Moments by Arts2Educate (Westover Gardens, Sat – Sun from 10am-4pm) to being wonder-struck at the dazzling skills on show at the King Ramps Skateboard Sessions (Town Square, Fri-Sun from 11am – 9pm), through to being entertained and invited to reflect with The Guy In The Luggage Rack by She Said Jump (Lower Gardens, Sat and Sun from 1pm). Families can pick up an interactive Family Trail guide from the information point located at Lower Gardens.

To plan the best weekend, visitors should head to https://artsbythesea.co.uk, where they can find more info and download the Arts by the Sea 2023 brochure. This includes a map, a key for different types of performances, a full festival schedule with times and locations, and a bit of info about the performers. Brochures can also be physically collected at the local libraries in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.

Getting to the festival couldn’t be easier. For anyone staying nearby, the greenest route is by foot, with enjoyable routes along the seafront or through the gardens. Travel to the town centre by bus is easy using More Bus. From further afield, trains come to Bournemouth from around the country, and the festival site is a short bus trip away from the station. Arts by the Sea has also partnered with Beryl, who have lots of bike and e-scooter bays around Bournemouth. For all travel info, including public car parking, visit https://artsbythesea.co.uk/travel-festival/

With so much more in store including the Breakdown Walls flash mob dance in association with Pavilion Dance South West (various central locations, Sun at 4pm) and the interactive light sculpture Light Hearted by Gavin Morris (all weekend at Westover Gardens), Arts by the Sea 2023 promises to be the most memorable yet. Organisers encourage all visitors to plan ahead to get the most out of this very special festival of arts and culture.