Criminal canines steal the show at Hastings' True Crime Museum for Dress Up Your Dog Day

Now in its ninth year, the much-loved family event returns every January, combining humour and canine charm to promote the museum's dog-friendliness and lift spirits during a typically gloomy part of the year.

Laura Green, assistant curator, said: "We've been running this event for 9 years now. It's hugely popular, and has been from the very beginning. Hastings is known for being really dog-friendly, and people don't realise you can bring them into most attractions, hotels, cafés and restaurants in the local area. We wanted to highlight this with our event.

"Dogs are always welcome at the museum all year round, and we love to see them. It also brightens up January, which is a very dull month, and encourages people to come for a day out and bring their dogs with them. I think it's an event we will never stop running here. Saturday saw loads of dressed-up doggies and owners. Batman and Robin were a highlight for me."

The True Crime Museum opened in 2014 and has since attracted thousands of visitors from around the world, including building up a loyal local following. They are also known for their paranormal events, where keen ghost hunters can hire out the museum overnight to track down spirits.

Laura added: "We're launching headfirst into 2026 with some exciting events planned in the coming months. New exhibits and exhibitions, new photo opportunities, and so much more. 2025 was our best year, seeing locals and visitors from all over the world travelling specifically to visit the museum and get their true crime fix. But we're looking to beat that this year with a fantastic line-up of events for all ages. We want to encourage more locals to visit us in 2026, who perhaps haven't been before."

The museum will announce Saturday's fancy dress winners on January 31 via email and on their Facebook page, which you can follow here https://www.facebook.com/TheTrueCrimeMuseum