VISITORS and festival-goers flocked to the South Essex coast for an annual festival event.

More than 15,000 people attended the ever popular Village Green event, which draws in crowds of music fans and festival-goers each year.

A buzz filled the air on Saturday July 8 as the event kicked off in style in Chalkwell Park, Chalkwell Avenue, Chalkwell.

Village Green is a multi-art form and music festival, produced by Metal Culture.

There were a variety different stages, green spaces, rose gardens, cricket pitches, pathways and marketplaces which became venues for international music acts, theatre, and much more.

This year’s event saw huge acts in the entertainment and music business take to stages at the venues to wow the crowds.

These acts included Southend band Nothing But Thieves and singer song writer Kate Nash, among other stars and performers.

Kate Nash rose to prominence in the UK with the sleeper hit “Foundations” in 2007.

Her debut album, Made of Bricks, peaked at number 1 in the UK and number 36 in the US. Nash won the award for Best British Female Artist at the 2008 Brit Awards.

Nothing But Thieves are an alternative rock band formed in 2012 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

They consist of lead vocalist, guitarist Conor Mason, guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown, guitarist, keyboardist Dominic Craik, drummer James Price, and bassist Philip Blake.

In 2014, they were signed to RCA Records. Their style of music has been compared to the likes of Foals, The Neighbourhood, and Civil Twilight, and they’ve been played on alternative, modern rock and active rock radio.

There were other local bands including Suspects and Bait from Westcliff who wowed the crowds with stunning performances.

But music is just the start- there was plenty of other entertainment on the day.

Colette Bailey, 46, artistic director at the event and Metal said the event was a success.

She added: “During the weekend you could see on day that everyone was having a fantastic time.

“The crowds were so great and everyone at the event was so friendly, people often say they bump into friends as the whole of Leigh often attends the event.

“We have people come from all over the UK, including people from as far as Liverpool and Bristol just for Village Green.

“We were also lucky with the weather- as the sun shone down on the park and it was a lovely day weather wise.

“The event has really gone from strength to strength in recent years with more and more people coming along and enjoying what we have to offer as well as celebrating the local talent from Southend and South Essex.

“In the past we have draw in crowds of as many as 33,000 people here- that year the park was bursting at the seems.

“Each year we do something different and we like to change things about so that there is a good mix.

“This year we have moved about the different stages and different areas- to ensure that we create variety at the event.

“The whole idea behind the event is that in times past the village green was where the community would come together for big event and to show off their talent - and this urban park is the perfect space and that’s also where the name comes from.”