With a bumper year for events planned in Southend, find out what's in store in the city over the next 12 months.
January 29: ABC - The Lexicon of Love Orchestral Tour, at Cliffs Pavilion
ABC's classic album will be performed in its entirety by Southbank Sinfonia, plus the band's other greatest hits. It will be conducted by Anne Dudley.
Ticket prices range from £42.75 to £115.25, and show will start at 7.45pm.
February 7: Fairport Convention, at Cliffs Pavilion
British folk-rock band Fairport Convention has been entertaining music lovers for more than half a century. This year’s Winter Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new.
The band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Ric Sanders on violin, and Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals. Fairport will be joined on stage by former member Dave Mattacks on drums.
February 11 to 13: Romesh Ranganathan - Hustle, at Cliffs Pavilion
After a sell-out tour in 2022, Romesh is back with a brand-new show examining the human condition.
Best known for The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, The Ranganation, Rob & Romesh Vs, A League Of Their Own, Avoidance, Romantic Getaway, host of Weakest Link and his own BBC Sounds and Radio 2 show For The Love Of Hip Hop.
Tickets cost £34.50 and the shows will start at 8pm.
February 24: Southend Winter Pride 2024, at St Marks Church Hall
Southend Pride is organising a "winter treat" to help revitalise the "Summer Pride vibe".
The event will take place between 12pm and 5pm at St Marks Church Hall in Hamlet Road, Westcliff. It will feature community stalls, independent traders, entertainment, kids corner, drag story time and refreshments.
February 27 and 28: Leigh Francis - "My First Time Tour: Work In Progress", at Palace Theatre
Leigh's characters and sketches have kept millions of people around the UK laughing for years, and now he's stepping out as himself on a tour around the country.
Joining Leigh will be his favourite characters, all brought to life in a live environment for the very first time ever. From Keith Lemon, Bear and Avid Merrion to 'David Dickinson', 'Ant and Dec' and Myrtle, this tour will be packed full of sketches with audience interaction.
March 21: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, at Cliffs Pavilion
A celebrated musical juggernaut for four decades, thrilling audiences from Tasmania in the South Pacific to Svalbard in the Artic Circle, the all-singing, all-plucking Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain continues to break the mould with a programme of new tunes as well as old classics.
Ticket prices range from £23.75 to £32.25. The show will begin at 7.30pm
April 12: Julian Clary - A Fistful Of Clary, at Palace Theatre
The self-declared "national trinket" will bring his cheeky wit and risqué banter to Southend on his western-themed UK tour.
You’ve heard of the Man With No Name? Well, here’s the Man With No Shame.
Tickets cost £33.75. The show will start at 7.30pm.
May 2: John Bishop - Back At It, at Cliffs Pavilion
After two years spent TV presenting, stage acting, podcast hosting, dog walking and decorating the spare room, John is getting back to the thing he loves most - standing on stage and making people laugh. His huge tour will play 57 dates at a host of venues, including in Southend.
Ticket prices range from £29.75 to £47.75. The show will start at 8pm.
June 9: Southend Half-Marathon, at East Beach, Shoebury
Conquer Southend’s premier running event in aid of Havens Hospices.
The 13.1 mile coastal course is fast, flat and traffic-free, making it ideal for those looking for a personal best. With plenty of support along the route and a fantastic event village at the end, 2024 is hoped to be "the biggest and best" half marathon to date.
June 29: Sausage and Cider Festival at Priory Park
The hit festival, which saw 80,000 revellers heading to its events across more than 40 locations in the UK last year, will return with a huge outdoor stage for an array of live entertainment.
Tribute bands already confirmed include tributes to Chic, Take That, Arctic Monkeys and Oasis, with a huge headliner set to be announced.
Special guest Shaun Williamson, who played Barry in EastEnders from 1994 to 2004, will also host his unique take on karaoke - Barrioke - with his trademark banter, accompanying participants on stage.
Ticket prices range from £19.50 to £39.95.
July 13: Proms at the Vulcan, at London Southend Airport
The Essex Concert Orchestra will perform a selection of popular and classical music alongside the Vulcan XL426 at Southend Airport.
Comprising some of Essex’s top musicians, the orchestra includes professional musicians, students at prominent London and Essex music colleges, and local music teachers. It is a member of Southend Arts Council and performs at venues across the county and further afield.
Gates will open at 5.30 pm and the orchestra will begin playing at 7.00 pm. The concert is scheduled to finish at 9.30 pm.
Tickets cost £23 for adults and £14 for under-16s.
July 26 to 28: Lazydays Festival, at Priory Park
Billed as "a celebration of all things craft", the traditional beer festival will return for four days of live music, entertainment, and cocktail masterclasses.
Visitors can enjoy a wide selection of craft beers and lagers, cocktails, and gin from independent Essex makers.
Headliners include BBC 6music funk and soul DJ Craig Charles, indie rock band The Futureheads, BBC Radio 1xtra legend David Rodigan, and 1990s album charting band Sleeper.
Weekend passes range from £91 to £125, with single-session tickets available from £32.
August 29: Joe Pasquale - "The New Normal: 40 Years Of Cack... Continued", at Palace Theatre
Joe Pasquale has been "showing off" on stage for more than four decades. On his UK tour, he will show "things have never been normal".
The show will also include a question-and-answer session with the comedy icon.
Ticket prices range from £24.50 to £26.50. The show will start at 8pm.
September 27: Simon Brodkin - Screwed Up, at Cliffs Pavilion
After selling out 110 dates across the UK and Europe, Simon Brodkin, the world-famous prankster, Lee Nelson creator and most-watched British stand-up comedian on TikTok, brings his outrageous stand-up show to Southend.
In ‘Screwed Up’ Simon rips into celebrity culture, social media, the police, Putin, Prince Andrew and God. Nothing is off limits in this critically acclaimed show, including his own mental health, his family, and his five arrests.
Tickets cost £28. The show will start at 8pm.
October 14: Ben Elton - Authentic Stupidity, at Cliffs Pavilion
Following the huge success of Ben Elton’s critically acclaimed sold-out UK tour in 2019, which marked his return to live comedy after a fifteen year hiatus, the "godfather of modern stand-up" is going back on the road with his new show, Authentic Stupidity.
Tickets cost £38. The show will start at 7.30pm.
November 23: Jimmy Carr - Laughs Funny, at Cliffs Pavilion
With his signature fast-paced, edgy one-liners, Jimmy Carr is going back on tour with a brand-new show.
Tickets cost £40.25. There will be two shows, with the first starting at 7pm and the second at 9.45pm.
November 28: Nish Kumar - "Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe", at Palace Theatre
Award-winning stand-up comic Nish Kumar, best known as the host of BBC Two’s The Mash Report and podcast Pod Save the UK, will bring his latest show to Southend.
His show, Don’t Kill My Vibe, will see the comic tackle climate collapse, income inequality and “the emotional sensation of being a British Indian man who isn’t going to vote for a British Indian Prime Minister”.
Ticket prices range from £24.50 to £27. The show will start at 7.30pm.
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