East Suffolk Council, Felixstowe BID and Felixstowe Town Council are bringing you a 6-day Love Felixstowe Festival in 2023!

Celebrations will take place in key locations across Felixstowe including the High Street, Beachside Events Space, the prom and local businesses. Celebrations culminate with the Suffolk leg of the Tour Of Britain starting and finishing on the sea front.

Over Saturday and Sunday there will be:

• Street entertainment from jugglers to musicians
• An opportunity to participate and spectate in sports and activities
• An outdoor cinema (and on the large screen throughout the weekend will be adverts promoting East Suffolk and Felixstowe businesses)
• Community-led rides taking people on a tour of Felixstowe
• Bike maintenance sessions and cycle security information
• The Beachside events area will have a marquee hosting stalls and information from partners and local community groups

Other activity over the festival includes:

• Dressed shop window competition
• Art on the Prom
• Street Food Stands
• Beach street skatepark
• Young people’s activities on the beach

31^st August with judging on Friday 1^st September

Shop Window Decorations – Competition

In Felixstowe there will be a window dressing competition with judging on Friday 1^st September. The winning display will receive two tickets to the hospitality of the Tour of Britain. If you would like to enter, please have your display in place by the 31^st August and email leisure@eastsuffolk.gov.uk with photos of the display and the location of the business.

(All businesses and community spaces along the route will be encouraged to decorate the shop windows to provide a welcoming display for visitors of the Tour).

Sunday 3^rd September

Art on the Prom and street food stands will add to the celebrations  https://www.artontheprom.uk/

Monday 4^th September

Young people’s activities on the beach side events and a skatepark at Beach Street.

Tuesday 5^th/ Wednesday 6^th September

Business event created in partnership with the Economic Development Team, Felixstowe BID and Menta.

More information to follow.

To get involved in the Love Felixstowe Festival either by holding a satellite event or activity at your business or exhibiting at the triangle, beachside events area or pier you can get a form from leisure@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

Thursday 7^th September

Tour of Britain!

Thursday 7^th September will see the start and finish of Stage 5 of the 19th Tour of Britain.

• Finish Line -  Sea Road, opposite Granville Road
• Event Village - Beachside events area – marquee featuring local partners
• Team coaches - Undercliff Road West from approx 8am until end of race

This stage will weave through Babergh and Mid Suffolk, the heart of the Suffolk countryside, before culminating along the county’s coastline in the shadows of Felixstowe’s pier and world-famous port on Thursday 7 September.

Felixstowe has never previously welcomed the Tour, however its sister race – the Women’s Tour – dramatically culminated there in 2021, when newly-crowned world champion Elisa Balsamo claimed an emotional victory in the famous rainbow jersey.

Other activity on the day includes:

Businesses battle it out on a bike!

Battle it out to be the ‘fastest on two wheels’ on Sea Road (representing your Business and/or Employer). This will be a 500-metre sprint to the finish line. Road, BMX, and MTB can all battle it out for the top spot. This is a unique opportunity to cycle on the finishing straight in front of the crowds ahead of the Tour of Britain. The event will start promptly at 12noon, meeting at 11.30am on the Beach Side Events Area. All competitors must bring their own roadworthy bicycle and wear a helmet when participating in the event. Businesses' can enter up to six employees to represent them and there will be prizes for the fastest Female and Male.

To enter please visit https://ToB_BusinessSprint.eventbrite.co.uk to book your place.

Road closure information featured at the bottom of this article.

Bike Decorating

Wednesday 9^th August and Thursday 10^th August 6-9pm

Local Artist, Victoria Petchey and BeeHive Cafe at Felixstowe Museum have teamed up to offer two bike decorating days in Felixstowe for local businesses that want to get involved

Up to five people from each business can get assistance from Victoria to decorate a bike. The bike and art materials will be supplied, all we ask is that you put it either in your business window or outside your business.

Drinks and cake will be available to all those that attend.

Basic locks will be supplied to those businesses that will be putting the bike outside.

Bookings for this will open on Monday 24^th July at 9am https://BikeDecorating.eventbrite.co.uk

Volunteers

Sign up here! Volunteer Suffolk if you want to help between 2^nd and 7^th September in sharing activity and handing out programmes. Lunch vouchers provided.

Calling all Food businesses!

Volunteers will be given a food voucher to the value of £5 for use at participating businesses on the day of volunteering for use for breakfast or lunch.

We are looking for businesses that can offer a food option up to the value of £5 per person.

Any vouchers redeemed with your business will be paid for at the end of the trading day by our onsite team. If you feel that you can offer something, please email leisure@eastsuffolk.gov.uk and we will add you to the list. 

Taste of the Tour

The Tour of Britain also give businesses as much chance as possible to get involved.

If you would like to run an event or special offer on the Taste of the Tour website to coincide with the tour simply submit the details for inclusion on the website here

How can businesses get involved?

Business Toolkit: We have created our official ‘Business Toolkit’ containing lots of information, tips, and ideas. Wherever your business is on the route and whatever your industry there are numerous ways to make the most out of the tour.

Find out more here.

The Bike trail: Can your town host one of our bike trails? Find out more information and get in touch here.

7^th September Road Closure and Parking Suspension

In order to accommodate all the activities, spectators, the start/finish area apparatus and convoy vehicles it will be necessary to close the following roads:

• Beach Station Road Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900 and no access to Sea Road 1900
• Cavendish Road from Sea Road to Manning Road Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900 and no access to Sea Road 1900
• Orford Road Saturday Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900 and no access to Sea Road 1900, residential access to the side roads will be available during the closure except when the race returns
• Sea Road Saturday Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900
• Undercliff Road West from the roundabout of Convalescent Hill down to the Spa Pavilion Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900 (residential access to driveways, KW Autos Customers and Spa Pavilion staff will be available during the closure)
• A one way system will be in place along Undercliff Road West to the roundabout Convalescent Hill on Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900. Undercliff Road West will be closed to traffic travelling from the direction of the Spa Pavilion to Langer Road with the diversion route going up Convalescent Hill.

• In Trimley St Martin there will be no parking cones from Howlett Way to High Road Trimley St Mary on Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900 and in Trimley St Mary there will be no parking cones on High Road on Thursday 7^th September 0000 to 1900.
• There will also be a rolling road closure as the race comes through Suffolk with the police escort group closing any side roads and stopping traffic coming onto the route approximately 20 minutes before the riders reach a town/village. Once the riders have passed through, the roads will be reopened and any parking suspension will start to be removed.

Any queries please contact manager@felixstowebid.co.uk