Following positive conversations with The Sculpture Factory, organisers are hopeful that the world’s largest sand sculpture festival will return to Great Yarmouth next year.

The festival has been very successful attracting 160,000 visitors from far and wide, with some visitors traveling from as far as Scotland and many visitors making a repeat visit.

Around 60 artists were originally flown in from all over the world and congregated in Great Yarmouth over the summer to create one of the world’s largest sand sculpture festivals. Great Yarmouth became home to the Olympic Gods, Hermaphrodites, Centaur man and woman, the Trojan horse, Odysseus and the Cyclops and many other mythological legends of ancient Greece, were carved out of sand in the biggest and most impressive sand sculpture event the UK had ever seen.

The sculptures were made purely from sand and water and could easily withstand winds up to Force 7. However, the weekend’s heavy rain left the sculptures weather beaten and Festival organizers took the decision to close on Monday 25th September - some two weeks later than the original closing date.

Today’s conversations between The Sculpture Factory and organizers have been extremely positive and the resort is hopeful that the World’s largest Sand Sculpture Festival will be returning to Great Yarmouth next year.

Thomas Van Den Dungen – Organiser for The Sculpture Factory said ‘After extending the opening period for a further six weeks, we knew that the festival would come to an end one day, but it is a shame that the festival closed in the way that it did due to the heavy rain.  However, I am now in the final stages of consultation and I am hopeful that the Sand Sculpture Festival will return next year over the summer months.  I have already started to think about the theme for next year, which will again be imaginative and spectacular with the world’s best artists flown in to carve the magnificent sculptures.’

Councillor Bert Collins – Chairman of Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority said ‘The sand sculpture festival has been fantastic for the resort, this is great news that the festival may come back next year to Great Yarmouth.  Large numbers of visitors went to and enjoyed the festival this year and the attraction has been extremely good for the borough and tourism alike.  I am sure that next year’s festival will be equally as spectacular.’

For Media Enquires, please contact:
Nicola Gibson
Marketing and Promotions Manager
Tourism Division
Maritime House
25 Marine Parade
Great Yarmouth
NR30 2EN
Tel: 01493 846340
email: nmg@great-yarmouth.gov.uk