Whitby Fish and Ships Festival

Taking place on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May 2024, the Whitby Fish and Ships Festival is back for 2024 promising a lively celebration of Whitby’s rich fishing heritage.

Join us for live cookery demonstrations from top local chefs and fish craft demonstrations alongside incredible live music from local bands and sea balladeers. There will be plenty of family activities and entertainment, local exhibitors and so much more!

Seafood Kitchen Marquee, Dock End

Whitby and great quality seafood go hand in hand, and in the Seafood Kitchen Marquee you will be treated to mouth-watering cooking demonstrations by some of the best local chefs:

• 10.30am Phil Akrill, Head Chef at The Talbot, Malton
• 11.30am Paul Gildroy and Andrew Barker: Paul Gildroy, Head Chef at the award-winning Magpie Café, Whitby, and Andrew Barker of Hodgson Fish, winner of Seafish British Craft championship 2018.
• 12.30pm Kath Breckon, Development/Training Chef at NYES Catering and Knorr Professional Education Ambassador
• 1.30pm Maggie Lubaszewska of Trenchers, Whitby (Sunday: 1.30pm Jon Appleby, Head Chef at The Feversham Arms, Helmsley)
• 2.30pm Dan Hargreaves, Chef and Owner of Embers, Scarborough
• 3.30pm Andrew Nightingale, Head Chef of The Hare and Hounds, Hawsker

Fish Craft Marquee, Endeavour Wharf

Head down to the Fish Craft Marquee and check out the giant fish display, showcasing species of fish that are caught off our coast. Find out what these fish and shellfish look like before they are processed, and chat to experts from the industry who will answer any of your fishy questions.

Throughout the day, skilled filleters from Lockers Fish, Hodgsons Fish, Sandgate Seafoods and Whitby Seafish will showcase their skills of filleting and preparation skills, with chef competitions thrown into the mix.

L&W Shellfish & Cod Roe will show you how to prepare and pick crab and lobsters, while Paul Gildroy, Head Chef of The Magpie Café, will be showing you just how easy it is to cook different species of fish and shellfish, with tasty samples available to try.

Local fisherman will be demonstrating the true art of pot sewing and net mending, something that’s rarely seen now but still very much a part of day-to-day life in this thriving industry. Whitby’s Lobster Hatchery will also be down with us and have lots of hands-on activities to keep kids big and small entertained.

This year, we are excited to display picture boards which bring to life how the fishing industry and Whitby have changed over the years, and the people who make who make the fishing industry what it is.

Museums Marquee, Endeavour Wharf

Get crafty

In collaboration with Whitby Museum, Pannett Art Gallery and Whitby Library, kids can take part in crafty workshops where they’ll create expressive art for a large sea backdrop, showcasing life above and beneath the waves, and even under the seabed.

The Cook Museum will introduce a variety of marine animals and sea creatures to make, plus there’ll be tabletop games and other sea-themed crafts.

Create your own prehistoric sea creatures with Whitby Museum to fill up the sea on the giant collage and test your eye for beach finds at the beach fossil hunting tray.

Flash Company Arts will also be hosting workshops in the lead-up to the festival at local schools which will see school kids design postcards to display at the festival. Come down to find their contribution, or fill out a postcard of your own with a short story or message.

Dogwood Productions

Dogwood Productions, the Whitby-based professional theatre company, will be presenting two new shows at this year’s Whitby Fish and Ships Festival in the town over the weekend – “The Chip Shop Chronicles”.

The first show “Life, Love, Chips” features the hilarious angst of unrequited love in the Wild West of Whitby and features new music and songs composed and performed by award-winning composer Alastair Collingwood.

The second show “Storm In A Chip Shop” is set on a rainy summer’s afternoon. As customers shelter from the storm, their conversations turn to the amazing 1881 story where the Whitby lifeboat was carried across the snow-covered moors to carry out an historic rescue at Robin Hoods Bay.

Each show will last around 30 minutes and admission is free.

The shows will be performed several times on both days of the festival at the Museum Marquee. In between shows there will be the chance to visit from all the Whitby museums and for children a chance to add to the giant sea collage being assembled that weekend. Dogwood will also be providing puppetry workshops to bring their creations to life.

Street Entertainment

Animated Objects return to the Whitby Fish and Ships Festival this year with their new walkabout act, Galleons Ahoy!

Keep a lookout from Dock End to the lighthouse for the hapless pirate captain – more of a buffoon than a buccaneer. Thinking he’d find easier pickings on this coast than on the Spanish Main, he’s found himself in hot water with the Royal Navy. He’s short on treasure, short on luck and short on time as he finds himself pursued by the fearless Admiral in her flagship Steadfast.

They’ll be on walkabout aboard their land-based galleons in Whitby across the festival weekend. Give them a wave, stop for a selfie and prepare yourself for some hearty banter and tall tales as the pirate code clashes swords with the pride of the King’s fleet! There may even be a shanty or two on the way.

Fisher Lassie Bidi Iredale will be entertaining festival goers with fishing songs from long ago and tales, about the fisher lassies that used to work along the East Coast.

Plus, Jack Sparrow and The Guard will be on walkabout duty between 11am -5pm on Saturday, with Hook and Smee in town on Sunday between 11am – 3pm.

Whitby Krampus Run will be working alongside Made In Whitby to bring the Whitby Wyrm sea serpents – dragon-like creatures which, legend has it used, to live on the headland by Whitby Abbey – together with St. Hilda, plus Krampus Run Merchandise will be on sale at their stall.

Live music and Whitby Fish and Ships Festival 2024

Music Marquee, Endeavour Wharf

Made in Whitby and Whitby Brewery will be bringing toe-tapping music to get you in the party mood!

Whitby Bandstand, Pier Road

Sing along to sea shanties and traditional folk music at Whitby Bandstand with Whitby Sea Festival.

MC: Beth Burrows, Boathook Bald and Mel Langton

Additional events at Whitby Fish and Ships Festival 2024

Whitby Lobster Hatchery

The Lobster Hatchery are also taking part in this year’s festival – look out for their pop-up in the Fish Craft Marquee. Meanwhile, in the Marine Discovery Centre on Pier Road, help to create Whitby’s most colourful lobster in a collaborative art project.

Watch a captivating film showcasing the journey of the lobsters from hatchlings to release into the wild, followed by a Q&A event where you can ask all your burning questions about lobsters, conservation, and more.

The film runs on both days at 4pm – book your place here:

• Saturday:
• Sunday:

Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey will be opening its doors for free to residents in YO21 and YO22 postcodes. Simply bring along proof of address to get free entry for the day.

Whitby RNLI Lifeboat Station

Lifeboat crews at Whitby RNLI lifeboat have been saving lives for over 200 years and have received RNLI medals for gallantry 36 times. Lucky ticket holders will be able to tour the new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, D class inshore lifeboat, and kit room over the Fish and Ships Festival weekend.

Please note, this is a ticketed event only due to high demand. Tickets are now sold out but there may be late cancellations

The lifeboat station will be closed to the general public for the weekend, but the RNLI shop and museum on Pier Road will be open both days and are well worth a visit, or stop by the lifeboat station on another day.

Local exhibitors and stalls

Browse the stalls along Dock End and pick up some artisan spirits, tempting sweet treats and locally made goods, and browse various local exhibitor stands.

Whitby Fish and Ships Festival Gallery