HOPES Bournemouth’s summer could be busy and action-packed are alive as BCP Council said it hoped to deliver a programme of events similar to 2019.
Summer was effectively cancelled last year after popular events such as the Air Festival and Summer Fireworks were cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
While the Bournemouth Air Festival was not hosted in person, organisers teamed up Centre VR in the town to put on an online festival in 2020.
However, BCP Councillor Mohan Iyengar, portfolio holder for tourism, leisure and culture, said the event was scheduled to go ahead as normal this year.
Cllr Iyengar said: “The Bournemouth Air Festival 2021 is still scheduled for September 2 to September 5.
“Following the government’s announcements of the dates for easing lockdown, we’re encouraged that the event can still go ahead and we’ll keep our preparations rolling forward while staying attuned to any further developments.”
Thousands of people tuned in to the virtual event last year which included interviews with pilots from the RAF and the Red Arrows.
Director of the festival, Jon Weaver, said: “We wanted to do something just to make sure that, at this time of year, we had something to remember that actually the Air Festival is on and not to lose sight of it.
“It’s not just about planes. There are elements around what we do in the evening, the night air stuff, the vintage stuff, even things like demos to really celebrate it and also to say what we are going to do in 2021 in trying to make it a broader festival.
“It’s gone down well. It’s not the Air Festival let’s be honest. It’s something that we hope people will be able to playback and enjoy.”
Picture by Echo Camera Club member Tom Ormerod
And the popular firework displays at Poole Quay are also scheduled to go ahead this year, depending on the pandemic situation.
The council hopes to deliver a programme of events similar to 2019 and have added a new festival called Festival Coast Live! starting in May.
A spokesperson said: “In terms of other events we are hoping to deliver a similar programme of events to 2019, starting early summer, including regular fireworks displays and events at Poole Quay, following the government roadmap and depending on the developing public health situation.
“Unfortunately, we can’t give exact dates at this time.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel