HISTORY OF SO FESTIVAL
The first SO Festival took place in 2009, it’s grown into an annual award winning Festival with a year-round programme.
Look through the history of SO Festival by scrolling down the page. You’ll find the programme, videos and photographs documenting each of the festival, plus information about the economic and social impact of the festival.
You can also scroll through galley of photographs, year by year.
SO Festival 2025 - The Sun Shone
SO Festival 2025, a celebration of International Performances, Community Engagement, and Creative Exchange.
SO Festival 2025 has once again proven to be a resounding success, captivating audiences across East Lindsey and further afield with a vibrant celebration of outdoor arts, international collaboration, and community creativity.
This year’s festival expanded its impact with a four-day programme of performances, the three-day SEAScape Conference, and a week-long series of community activities in Skegness and Mablethorpe. The festival brought together artists from six countries, alongside talent from the UK and Lincolnshire, offering a rich mix of acrobatics, comedy, puppetry, and dance.
SO Festival 2024 – the show went on!
SO Festival 2024 was a great success despite the weather, it did not dampen the spirits of the artists, staff, and most importantly all the visitors that came and enjoyed the programme of performances, talks, workshops, and activities.
Three jam-packed days in Skegness and Mablethorpe
Featuring everything from poetic puppetry and daring dancing, to immersive installations and creative conversations, last year's carefully curated programme of innovative art and entertainment took the audience on a joyous journey of discovery to experience something truly unique, with artists from the local and international circuit... and all for FREE!
We're finally back!
Intrepid explorers got ‘Very Lost’ on the prom; leaping fountains and splashing dancers dazzled audiences in front of the Jolly Fisherman and an Invisible Man intrigued and inspired tens of thousands of people, as SO Festival made its hotly anticipated return to the Lincolnshire coast!
SOvember Weekender
Multi-award winning, Italian theatre director, Roman Castellucci's latest installation made it's UK debut in Skegness!
Taking things online
We took SO Festival online! SOfa Fest 2020 was an online, international event – in partnership with PASSAGE Festival – that you could enjoy from the comfort of your own sofa.
Welcome back Community Stage!
Oooh la la! With an eclectic blend of synchronised swimmers and the spectacular consequences of a failed attempt to bake the perfect pie – it’s fair to say that the 2019 SO Festival delivered once again.
NPO for the second time
SO Festival became a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) with Arts Council England for the second time from 2018-2022.
To read more about what we got up to in 2018, click the button below.
East Lincolnshire’s leading arts & culture festival
SO Festival continued to establish itself as East Lincolnshire’s leading arts & culture festival & a key event in the summer for all the family.
SO Festival 2017 involved six days of explosive outdoor entertainment visiting Spilsby, Horncastle, Alford, Mablethorpe and Skegness bringing a fantastic display of outdoor art.
Les Commandos Percu from France and Deabru Beltak from Spain performed Danbor Talka (Clash of Drums), an explosive promenade performance combining their talents and know-how with a clear objective – to reclaim the streets. They also performed at the 2012 Olympics!
Other highlights of the festival included, The Strong Lady, Urban Astronauts, Cake Fest by Simon Preston (a giant edible map of East Lindsey) and Life’s a Beach by Black Country Touring.
Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture co-ordinated the festival partnered by East Lindsey District Council, Arts Council England, Garsington Opera, Without Walls Associate Touring Network and Coasters Touring Network.
Launching in Mablethorpe
In 2016, the festival took place across nine days, within seven market towns across East Lindsey.
This year the festival paid its first visit to the seaside town of Mablethorpe, before returning to Horncastle, Alford, Louth, Spilsby and Woodhall Spa, finishing with a finalé weekend in Skegness.
Becoming a National Portfolio Organisation
In 2015 we became a National Portfolio Organisation with Arts Council England.
SO Festival 2015 was an eleven day spectacular that brought extraordinary outdoor entertainment to six different market towns in East Lindsey.
We visited Louth, Alford, Woodhall Spa, Mablethorpe & Spilsby in the early evening, making sure as many people as possible were able to enjoy the wonderful acts we had lined up, as well as our opening extravaganza in Horncastle and finale in Skegness.
This year we were inspired by traditional entertainment – something that has long been associated with the East Lindsey coastline.
Opportunities for cummunities
SO Festival 2014 was a nine day festival that brought spectacular outdoor art to Lincolnshire and the Midlands. Our goal was to engage with and inspire people to participate in art. We aimed to connect with hard to reach groups and people from the least engaged places across the Midlands.
10 days of amazing art, culture & sport
SO festival 2013 created ten days of amazing art, culture and sport events for East Lindsey to enjoy and brought new and innovative work to the area.
This year, as well as street theatre and music, we showcased an amazing programme of dance and honoured to have attracted some of the UK’s most acclaimed outdoor performers – a real testimony to the high regard in which SO Festival held on a national level.
SO Festival once again successfully travelled to a number of market towns working closely with communities and local schools.
It is estimated the festival has contributed approximately £1m in Economic impact to the District per year since 2009.
Highlights of the programme included; BBC Radio Lincolnshire Touring Music Stage, Premier of Lancaster Film, Horncastled with Horncastle Festival Committee, The Fragile Shell with Sinfonia Viva, SO Festival Fringe Programme, International Cricket: England Woman Vs Pakistan, Lincolnshire Schools’ Prom, BBC Lincolnshire Introducing Outdoor Concert, The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, Big Bang by Plasticiens Volants, Dream Engine by Heliosphere and Garsington Opera performed Humperdinck’s “Hansel & Gretel”.
Partners included; Arts Council England, Centrica Energy, Siemens, Dong Energy, Magnetic Events, East Lindsey Live, Lincolnshire Co-Op, University of Lincoln, National Trust, Garsington Opera, England Cricket Board, Gone in 20 Minutes, Remarkable Productions, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Without Walls Associated Touring Network and Shoreditch Festival.
A great year for the UK #London2012
SO Festival 2012 expanded to a district wide, nine day festival, travelling to market towns of the district. This helped us to further engage communities in a cultural programme. Therefore enhancing education and lifelong learning; growing the local economy; improving health and wellbeing; and creating volunteering and community involvement opportunities.
In 2012, East Lindsey was the first district in the East Midlands to welcome the Olympic Torch on its relay through the country; exciting and inspiring communities and residents across the district. The Olympic Games was a driving force of inspiration for 2012’s festival.
We were part of Shauna Richardson’s Lionheart Project, which saw three giant lions tour the country in a 16 metre long illuminated glass case which was part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad
Highlights of the programme also included; Peep Box by John Byford, Bicycle Ballet, As The World Tipped by Wired Aerial Theatre, The Strongman by Bash Street Theatre, BBC Introducing in Lincolnshire and La Perichole, live from Garsington Opera, Oxfordshire.
Partners included Arts Council England, Magnetic Events, Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsesy Live, University of Lincoln, European Union, Helsingor Teater, Passage Festival, Dunkers Kulturhus, This Is Art, Championing Lincolnshire, Legacy Trust UK, National Trust, Garsington Opera, Serendipity, Mahogany, Cultural Solutions UK and Golden Fables 2012.
Countdown to London 2012 Opening Weekend
SO Festival 2011 was a three day festival of amazing shows, events and culture that took place in Skegness.
An exciting element of this celebration was being part of the London 2012 Open Weekend, marking the final countdown until the opening of The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This year we celebrated connections with people across the UK and Europe, by sharing projects with partners in Helsingborg (Sweden) and Helsingor (Denmark).
Skegness was the launch location of GamesTimes this spectacular outdoor stage show combined music, dance, video, fireworks and members of the local community by Deda, Derby. The project was supported by Legacy Trust UK and Arts Council England.
International co-commission Moving Colour by SO Festival, The Passage Festival, Helsingborg Sweden and Helsingor Denmark which brought together four groups of dancers and fashion designers from Lincolnshire and Helsingborg.
Other highlights of the programme included; Architects of Air, Granny Turismo, All Hands by The World Famous, Circo Rum Ba Ba, Coastal Flood exhibition, SO Festival Fringe programme of community dance and music.
Partners included Arts Council England, Magnetic Events, Lincolnshire County Council, Helsingor Teater, Dunkers Kulturhus, Helsingor Kommune, This Is Art, Championing the East Midlands, Legacy Trust UK & Environment Agency.
Fours days in Skegness
SO Festival returned to Skegness, and offered twice the excitement with support from Arts Council England. Four days of exhilarating performances transformed Skegness into an international arts venue bringing a colourful carnival of dance, visual art, street theatre, music, world-class performances and celebrity music acts.
2010 kicked off with a 10-day collaboration between international artist Ra Kajol, and an army of volunteers painting “Traffic Art”. This UK premiere of Ra’s work was big and bright, a celebration of Skegness’s own vibrant colours.
Highlights included Jools Holland at the Embassy Theatre, who was joined on stage by drummer Gilson Lavis, vocalists Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall and special guest, Marc Almond, a showcase of Lincolnshire’s most talented musicians thanks to BBC Introducing’s live ‘battle of the bands’ and exceptional dance performances.
Visitors were also wowed by acclaimed French street theatre company Transe Express perform Mobile Homme suspended 40m in the air and silhouetted against the night sky.
On the Saturday, Skegness turned into an aquatic wonderland, when Plasticiens Volants performed their critically acclaimed mobile show, Perle, which will launch the 2010 illuminations display – where massive inflatable sea creatures and giant marine puppets floated and danced over the crowds, transforming the Skegness skyline into a magical oceanic display.
The festival drew to a close with music performances in Tower Gardens before West End star Lee Mead closes the festival in style with a performance at the Embassy Theatre.
Where it all began
In 2009 East Lindsey District Council, in partnership with Arts Council England, launched a summer festival in Skegness called SO.
The title ‘SO’ comes from the famous 1908 John Hassall poster which features the town’s Jolly Fisherman dancing along the beach with the slogan of ‘Skegness is SO Bracing’.
The first SO Festival included a night of Opera relayed on to a 46m beach via satellite from the neighbouring Embassy Theatre. Other performances included; a comedy showcase, an evening of Berlin Cabaret and the first beach performance of Full Circle by The World Famous and Terrafolk, a spectacular music and pyrotechnic show that took everyone’s breath away.
