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First Light 2023 in Lowestoft

After a triumphant weekend in 2022, First Light Festival has announced that Lowestoft’s free summer solstice celebration of culture, creativity, and community will return to South Beach on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June 2023.

Inspired by the cycles of the sun, the festival will run from 12pm noon to sundown (9.30pm) on Saturday and from 10am – 4pm on Sunday, with a dawn sunrise programme of arts from 3.30am on Sunday morning. Additional late-night events will take the celebration to a number of different Lowestoft venues (details and tickets announced soon).

First Light is already inviting audiences to get involved with this year’s festival, through two exciting musician call-outs, and a large scale community opening parade project. For those travelling from further afield, wild beach camping pitches are now on sale.

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Young and Local Musicians Invited to Play at First Light 2023

Building on the success of last year’s New Dawn stage which featured twenty-two emerging musical talents aged 14-25 from Suffolk and Norfolk, the festival is once again inviting young musicians to apply to play over the solstice weekend.

New for 2023, the festival will also feature a second open call-out, Playbreak, that offers musicians working, living and gigging in Lowestoft the chance to play a set in front of a home crowd under the midsummer sun.

Both call-outs will be judged by panels of leading industry experts, including representatives of BBC Introducing, Wild Paths and Access Community College, with headline slots on the main Sunlight stage also up for grabs. Applications to New Dawn and Playbreak are now open at www.firstlightlowestoft.com/get-involved, and close Monday 20th February.

Festival Opening Parade Project with Hi! Street Fest Kicks off in February with Open Call

First Light is excited to be partnering with Emergency Exit Arts as part of a nationwide project that will work with Lowestoft communities in the run up to June to create a vibrant, walking parade that will feature large scale puppets. This week, four Community Producer Trainees will join the project to help coordinate with schools, local organisations and community groups in the town.

The project is now inviting those interested in being involved to join in community workshops on 23rd and 25th February at East Point Pavilion. The sessions are open to anyone interested in finding out more about the project, and full details can be found at www.firstlightlowestoft.com/get-involved.

First Light Recruiting Volunteers Coordinator

The festival, which in 2022 attracted crowds of 35,000+, is only made possible by the brilliant work of our volunteers. The First Light team are now looking for a Volunteers Coordinator to help them recruit, train and manage their team of 150+ volunteers. A paid, part-time role, applications are now open until Friday 24th February, and full details can be found at www.firstlightlowestoft.com/get-involved.

Wild Beach Camping Now on Sale

Alongside the free access festival, several unique opportunities will be available to attendees, including the chance to spend a weekend under the stars in the wild beach camping zone. Camping tickets are now available, with Campervan Tickets coming soon www.firstlightlowestoft.com/camping

First Light

Genevieve Christie, CEO of First Light Festival CIC, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our 2023 dates, along with exciting news on some of our upcoming projects. We hope that everyone in Lowestoft will have the chance to get involved with this year’s First Light, whether that is contributing to our parade, playing on a stage or soaking up the festival atmosphere and all it has to offer.”

Cllr Craig Rivett, East Suffolk Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “We are delighted that the First Light Festival is returning for another year, and our three-year investment of £500,000 demonstrates our commitment to the event. This is great news for Lowestoft and we cannot wait for another fantastic 48 hours on the beach.

Bobby Bennett, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Equality and Communities, said: “Suffolk County Council is pleased to work closely with the First Light Festival. Events like this support economic growth, which everyone can benefit from, improving health, care and wellbeing and supporting public services.

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