Seaside festival hopes to swim back onto culture calendar

Thursday 08 April 2021

Three of St. Helier's best loved outdoor food and culture fests are set to make a return this summer if Jersey's covid roadmap goes to plan.

Organisers confirmed to Express that plans for the Havre des Pas Seaside Festival are now being put together for 31 July and 1 August, following a two year absence from the island's calendar.

It would be one of the first large outdoor events to be organised, if the Government sticks to its planned relaxation of rules on outdoor events on June 14.

They're also hoping that the Portuguese Fair in June and the St. Helier street party in July will equally be able to go ahead.

Video: An advert for a previous festival, featuring footage of the 2018 event.

Speaking to Express about the Havre des Pas festival, organiser Jason Maindonald said: "This year, me and the team are looking to do a soft start for this year.

"Now that we’ve got it back up and running, we’re hoping to just get the stages back, get all the food and the music back, and just try and enjoy a bit of summer."

He said that paperwork and risk assessments have already been completed, and the event team are currently waiting on approval from the Bailiff's Panel, but that "unless the Bailiff says 'no' or gives a reason why we can’t, we’re going full steam ahead."

Tickets will become available on May 10, weeks ahead of the final stage in the Government's roadmap on June 16, which will see larger outdoor events allowed again.

Mr Maindonald added that the plan to use Eventbrite to issue tickets for the Havre des Pas Seaside Festival lent itself to covid regulation compliance as the booking system involved an "element of track and trace".

Pictured: The Havre Des Pas Festival will be returning for the first time in two years, if plans are approved.

Since sharing intentions to relaunch the festival on Facebook, he said that he had been flooded with messages from bands and eateries keen to take part.

To ensure the plans now underway can come to fruition, Mr Maindonald urged islanders to keep to covid rules and regulations, noting that if the virus was kept in control and case numbers kept low, "there will be no reason why these events can’t happen, and everyone will be hopefully dancing on the beach."