Armed Forces Day will be celebrated in Cleethorpes again on 16-18 June this year with the largest, free event on the east coast!
The resort, which has hosted Armed Forces Days for many years, will once again see a series of military spectacles, supported by local community organisations and traders from across Lincolnshire and beyond. And after the success of last year, the Cleethorpes Community Carnival will return on the Friday night.
The event this year will be split between the main area of the resort and the Boating Lake.
On the ground, here’s a number of current and historic vehicles, including the mighty Chieftain tank, coming to town along with various other tracked armoured vehicles. There is a post-war vehicle collection attending too, including a SAS Pink Panther and a Foden Wrecker. These will be stationed in the Boating Lake in the car park, near the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway.
A mounted display troop of 16th Lancers are also taking part again this year, along with “The Cockleshell Heroes” and “24th Regiment of Foot” re-enactment groups. The Lancers will be performing displays on the boating lack paddock over the weekend and will be leading the Saturday parade in their scarlet uniforms.
Meanwhile, up in the air, on both Saturday and Sunday at this year’s Armed Forces weekend in Cleethorpes we have some fantastic flying displays for you to enjoy, kicking off from around 12:30pm on the Saturday and from around 1pm on the Sunday.
The Typhoon display will blast through the skies in the late afternoon on Saturday, and on Sunday, there is planned to be a special display of the Typhoon and Lancaster flying together to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid.
Also over the weekend, there will be flying displays by the Yak3, Pitts Specials, Miles Messenger, RAF Tutor Display team and the Starlings Aerobatic Team.
Entertainment will fill the main stage at the Armed Forces Memorial Gate once more throughout the Saturday, but in a change for this year, there will also be entertainment at the bandstand in the Boating Lake to complement the other displays.
In a change for this year, and following in the footsteps of other national trends, the grand finale on the Saturday night will be a laser display set to music being provided by LaserFire, who have previously done displays in York, Scarborough and other major events across the country.
The weekend is being supported by traders from Lincolnshire and beyond, with the Big Wheel returning for the weekend (will be on Central Prom), the zip wire and zorb balls in the Boating Lake area, and food, drink and all sorts of gifts available from stands in Pier Gardens, Lower Kingsway and the Boating Lake.
Alex Baxter, Managing Director of the Armed Forces Major Events Team, said: “This is the biggest, free event on the east coast to thank our armed forces personnel, past and present, for their service to our country and their support to civilian life. We are a small group of volunteers who organise the weekend, and it takes a lot of planning, but it’s always a fabulous weekend in the resort.”
Here’s your quick guide to key events:
Friday 16 June:
- Midday: trade areas open at Pier Gardens and Lower Kingsway
- 12noon-5pm: Ground displays and trade open in the Boating Lake
- Armed Forces Memorial Gate Entertainment stage (including the roundabout)
- 1.30pm: Linkage College Choir
- 2.15pm: Cleethorpes Academy Choir
- 3.10pm: Cleethorpes Academy Choir
- 4pm: Memory Lane Choir
- 4.45pm: MAK & CO
- 8pm: Ever Band
- 9pm: Dangerous Brothers Grimsby
- 6pm – 8pm: Cleethorpes Community Carnival: will set off from Grant Street Car Park around 6pm, taking in Alexandra Road, High Cliff Road and finishing near Cromwell Road.
Saturday 17 June:
- 10am: trade areas open (note: some will close at 5pm, others will remain open through the evening)
- 10am to 5pm: Ground-based displays in the Boating Lake (military vehicles etc)
- Including: 3.10pm: Mounted display troop of 16th Lancers – Boating Lake paddock
- 1pm: The main parade of vehicles and serving and former military personnel (Grant Street to Cromwell Road)
- Flying displays:
- *Between 12.30 and 1pm: Yak 3 display
- *Between 4pm and 5pm: The Starlings Display, Tiger Moth Display, Typhoon Display
- Armed Forces Memorial Gate Entertainment stage (including the roundabout)
- 11am: Artiez
- 1.40pm: Amy Hallett
- 2.25pm: All 4 One Choir
- 3.10pm: RAFC Band
- 4.50pm: RAF Waddington Pipe Band
- 5.20pm: Megan Curry
- 6.30pm: Sunset Parade
- 7.15pm: Hudson Lewis
- 8.15pm: Lost By Eleven
- 9.15pm: Becci Morrell, supported by Kick
- Stage at Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway in the Boating Lake: various acts from 12noon to 9.45pm.
- 12noon: Goodnight Moon
- 1pm: Cat Kids Theatre School
- 2pm: Cat Kids Theatre School
- 3pm: Peter Keaveney
- 4pm: Reggae Reggae Daz
- 5pm: MAK & Co
- 6pm: Sammijo
- 7pm: Lonerz Indie Rock Band
- 8pm: Steve Turner
- 9pm: Ever Band
- Boating Lake bandstand: 1940s music
- Approx 1030: Laser light display – at Ross Castle
Sunday 18 June:
- 11am to 5pm: trade areas open
- 11am to 5pm: Ground-based displays in the Boating Lake (military vehicles etc)
- Including: 11am and 2pm: Mounted display troop of 16th Lancers – Boating Lake paddock
- Main Stage at the Memorial Gate:
- 1.20: Grimsby and District Pipe Band
- 3pm: Megan Curry
- 3.45: Grimsby and District Pipe Band
- Stage at Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway in the Boating Lake: various acts from 12noon to 5pm.
- 12noon: Steve Turner
- 1pm: Lonerz Indie Rock Band
- 2pm: Peter Keaveney
- 3pm: Ever Band
- 4pm: Mini Floyd
- Boating Lake bandstand: 1940s music
- 1pm: Flying display: Starlings Display: at the central beach
- *Between 2pm and 3pm: Flying displays: RAF BBMF and Typhoon display (Dambusters’ Special)
- *Between 4pm and 4.30pm: Flying display: Tiger Moth Display
(* are updated elements over the weekend)
To keep up to date on the details as they are announced, visit the Armed Forces Cleethorpes facebook page.