Explore Things to do in Hastings
Hastings unfolds through its neighbourhoods, each contributing distinct rhythms to the town’s everyday life. In St Leonards-on-Sea, weekend craft markets at Rock-a-Nore Beach offer a relaxed start to the week, with local potters, weavers, and food vendors setting up under canvas awnings. These events are held near The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts during seasonal openings and draw visitors from Silverhill and West St Leonards alike. On East Hill, the lift’s route becomes part of an annual ritual: as summer approaches, stalls appear along its path hosting musicians, artists, and vendors offering street food under a canopy of old oak trees. The East Hill Funicular Railway remains operational throughout most months but can pause during storms, this disruption is noted in public transport alerts posted near the entrance at Alexandra Park.
Meanwhile, Old Town hosts Hastings Old Town Carnival Week each summer, a month-long event that began in 1968 and features a grand procession along Seafront. Participants include local schools, brass bands from West Hill, community groups from America Ground, and performers dressed as historical figures linked to William the Conqueror’s First English Castle Remains. The carnival extends into Rock-a-Nore Beach for evening fireworks displays at dusk.
In St Leonard’s-on-Sea near Hastings Country Park, seasonal installations rotate monthly, most recently a sculpture by local artist Lila Moss exhibited in collaboration with Coastal Currents Arts Festival (September). At the Shipwreck Museum and Fishermen’s Museum on Rock-a-Nore, interpretive panels detail how coastal erosion shaped modern harbour development. Events like Quentin Blake Exhibition at Hastings Contemporary or BMX Battle of Hastings draw international visitors to Source Park during October weekends.
Every listing reflects this immediacy: a new exhibition might open next week in The Stade; an unexpected gig could take over White Rock Theatre on Friday evening. What you see today may shift tomorrow with seasonal festivals, artist pop-ups at Smuggler’s Adventure, or late-night music sessions near the Hastings Pier.