Press release
For immediate release

July 7, 2025

Fantastic week of festival festivity awaits

Whitstable is gearing up for the annual Oyster Festival, which this year promises to be the best ever.

The week-long celebration of summer starts on Saturday, July 18 and the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association have packed the programme with 20 per cent more events than ever before.

There is an exciting mix of family entertainment, arts performances and workshops, food and drink and heritage events and the new pocket-sized programmes are now available around the town and beyond.

This year organisers have also set up a Facebook group and Twitter feed as well as the official website, http://www.whitstableoysterfestival.com, to make sure as many people as possible can keep up to date and join in the
fun.

Festival co-ordinator Mair Stratton, who organises the festival with the volunteers from WOFA, said: “Community is at the heart of the festival and there are activities for people of all ages.

“This year, we’ve included more events throughout the week to make sure there is plenty going on for residents as well as visitors.

“And with everything from dancing to dogs and from woodlice to walks we hope there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”

As well as traditional favourites like the Landing of the Catch, Blessing of the Waters and the Oyster Eating Competition, this year will see a host of new events including Strictly Whitstable, an open dance event sponsored
by wind farm company Vattenfall.

There are also more events for teenagers including cartooning and song-writing sessions as well as plenty of live music to suit all tastes.

The popular EPICentre food fair, sponsored by Produced in Kent, returns for the final weekend of the festival, showcasing the very best in local foot and drink and there will be cooking demonstrations on stage on the
final Saturday, July 25.

Gardening experts Jean Griffin from Radio Kent and Kevin Tooher from Hadlow College will also share their expertise at a special event on Wednesday, July 22.

Last year’s festival was the biggest ever, attracting an estimated 75,000 visitors throughout the week and organisers are hoping to beat that this year as more families choose to holiday at home.

Mair said: “The Oyster Festival is the perfect answer to the holiday credit crunch crisis - why go away when there is so much on offer here on your doorstep, mostly for free?

“There is something to keep the whole family busy every day of the week and with more community involvement than ever before we are looking forward to sharing the best that Whitstable has to offer.”

For full details of the programme and the latest updates, visit
http://www.whitstableoysterfestival.com, follow @Oysterfest09 on Twitter or join the Whitstable Oyster Festival 2009 group on Facebook.

Ends

Notes to editors:

For more information, please contact festival co-ordinator Mair Stratton on 07712 529882 or email mailto:[email protected]

Alternatively, feel free to contact Liz Crudgington, festival PR, on 07766 735940 or email mailto:[email protected]

Full details of the programme are available at www.whitstableoysterfestival.com

You are welcome to send a reporter and/or photographer to any of the festival events.