Event exploring grief love and loss arrives in Hastings in May

Taking place over the late May Bank Holiday weekend, 22 to 25 May 2026, the new four-day festival will bring people together for talks, workshops, music, film and creative experiences that open up compassionate conversations about death and bereavement.

The festival is produced by local events organisation 18 Hours, in partnership with St Michael’s Hospice, Good Grief Festival CIC and the University of Brighton, as part of the national Coastal Community and Creative Health research project.

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the project aims to explore how creative community activity can improve wellbeing and help tackle health inequalities in coastal towns, including Hastings.

Good Grief Hastings creates a welcoming space for people to share stories, engage with specialists in grief support and the creative arts, and take part in thoughtful and inspiring workshops. Through music, visual art, film, performance and discussion, the festival challenges the taboos around death and loss, encouraging open and tender conversations.

Across the weekend, audiences can expect a remembrance walk, storytelling events, talks, film screenings, live music, performance and arts exhibitions. There will also be opportunities to explore grief through shaping clay, weaving, writing, dancing and creating together in shared spaces. Some moments will be quiet and reflective, others communal and energising. The full festival programme will be announced early in April.

Good Grief Festival was founded in 2020 by Professor Lucy Selman at the University of Bristol. Originally created as an online event during the pandemic, it aimed to bring grief and bereavement into the open, encourage conversations and support people grieving in isolation.

Since then, it has grown into a nationally recognised festival, bringing researchers, healthcare professionals and counsellors, artists and communities together to talk openly and creatively about grief.

Dr Mandy Curtis, Director of 18 Hours said: “Good Grief Hastings is about creating space for grief in all its ways. Grief is not only about the loss of a person. It can be about changes in our lives, our health, our relationships or our sense of identity. By bringing this festival to Hastings, we hope to offer a welcoming and creative environment where people can explore those experiences openly, through conversation, making and shared moments.”

Amalabandhu Chandler, Bereavement and Spiritual Support Services Lead at St Michael’s Hospice, said: “While everyone experiences grief at some point in their lives, many people face isolation and loneliness when coping with the loss of someone close to them. These feelings can have a profound impact on mental health and wellbeing.

"Through arts and creative expression, Good Grief Hastings will create welcoming spaces where people can come together to reflect, connect and talk openly about grief in accessible and supportive ways. The festival will bring people together through conversation, creativity and shared reflection, helping to normalise discussions around loss while strengthening both individual and community resilience.

“By sharing experiences and engaging in creative activities, participants can feel less alone in their grief and more supported by those around them. Over time, this approach helps foster greater compassion, stronger social connections and a more open culture around grief, supporting healthier, more resilient communities for the future.”