When Mardi Gras comes to town - celebrating Hastings Fat Tuesday

Friday March 1 sees the launch of five days of Hastings Fat Tuesday music festival showcasing our thriving music scene and a wealth of homegrown talent.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Feb 2019, 11:07 BST
Updated 26th Feb 2019, 12:10 BST
Hastings Fat Tuesday 2019Hastings Fat Tuesday 2019
Hastings Fat Tuesday 2019

Hastings Fat Tuesday is celebrating its 10th year and is now one of the jewels in the town’s cultural crown as well as the UK’s largest Mardi Gras celebration.

Fat Friday will host the festival launch party at the Albion in Hastings Old Town, with a live performance by The Great Malarkey. Next up is Unplugged Saturday on March 2 with 40 acts covering a variety of musical genres, touring around bars and restaurants, playing 15 minute acoustic sets.

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The Mardi Gras Ball is on Sunday March 2. Embrace the spirit of Bourbon Street and wear outrageous outfits - feathers, beads, boas and masks. On arrival guests will be welcomed by stilt walkers in crinoline, a superb all female Mariachi band, Las Adelitas, followed by Chantelle Duncan and then The Brass Funkeys, and DJ Bad Mutha Funker.

The Umbrella Parade on Sunday March 3 is lead by the much-loved Second Line Band, and fun for all the family ending up at St Mary In The Castle. Sonics over March 2/3 is a two day celebration of avant garde electronic music, during which electronic pioneers The Radiophonic Workshop will premiere a specially created work. The sonic innovators responsible for the Doctor Who theme, Living Planet and many other classic BBC TV and radio music, will be performing live at Black Market VIP, in George Street.

There is also Off Axis which gives a platform to upcoming bands and musicians, and UnConvenion, a one day music conference aimed at the grassroots of the industry, which is followed by Slim Monday featuring King Size Slim and David Quantick’s legendary quiz.

Fat Tuesday culminates on March 5 when 12 venues host The Fat Tuesday Tour with 24 bands playing 20 minute sets in three venues each, including Sam Calvert, Beans On Toast, Sister Susie, Jamie Smart, Sabrina Gunston, Dr Savage and the legendary Glen Matlock, original bassist for the Sex Pistols, who co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.

Times, tickets, details and booking on hastingsfattuesday.co.uk.