TRADERS and families are disappointed and frustrated after Southend Council confirmed the spectacular LuminoCity lights festival has been axed for 2024.

Yesterday, Southend Council confirmed LuminoCity would not take place in the High Street and on the seafront this year as “no budget has been allocated for it”.

Mandy Dunnico, who attended the events in 2022 and 2023 with her four-year-old daughter Bella, said: “We both enjoyed following the map and seeing the magic of the lights turn Southend into a different vibe.

“While we walked through the different structures, we stood in the moment with the lights around us and it helped release any anxieties we were having in our daily life.

“I found a lot of people using the businesses for food and drink while LuminoCity was around. There was a lot of smiles and laughter from families as they walked through the different parts. Although I understand the reasons why it has been cancelled, it will definitely be an event that myself, Bella, and I am sure others will miss.”

Martin Richardson, owner of the Happidrome Arcade on Southend seafront, said businesses could have considered clubbing together to help fund the event if an announcement had been made sooner.

He added: “We have always been slightly aliened from LuminoCity on the seafront but the crazy thing about it is it brought thousands plus per night to the borough.

“It is not always about earning quick money on one night. It is about bringing new people into the area, who will then return at a later date to re-visit. That is so important, and events like this really help with that.

“It doesn’t surprise me it has been cancelled and we understand budgets are cut but there has been so many wasteful things done. We have got a prime seafront here. There was no consultation or talks about it being cancelled. It has been left to the last minute. I think they should have come to the businesses, say we need sponsorship, and see if something could have been done together.

“Us traders got together and organised all the fireworks too. The council have pulled out again, not the traders, or businesses. It is a real shame as it generated a great amount of interest. It was such large numbers.”