Eastbourne's Spring Water Festival 2025

By Sam Powell

Eastbourne’s Spring Water Festival returned this year for the fifth time, with nine days of events from the 10th to the 18th of May, highlighting a range of environmental projects and issues with a focus on the importance of water.

Eco Fair

The opening ceremony of the Eco Fair on the Western Lawns took place at 1pm on Saturday, 10th May. Plastic Free Eastbourne’s (PFE) lead coordinator, Oliver Sterno, opened with a speech, followed by Mayor Cllr Candy Vaughan, MP Josh Babarinde, and Council Leader Cllr Stephen Holt, who also thanked attendees.

The fair featured stalls from the Eastbourne Eco Action Network, promoting sustainable transport, and Energise Sussex Coast, offering free energy advice. Other stalls included reused material fashion, eco-themed art, and contributions from Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion, Blue Heart, PFE, local food vendors, and more, all showcasing efforts to improve Eastbourne’s environmental future.

The Eco Fair on the Western Lawns.
Photo credit: Sam Powell

Let's get Kidical

One of the festival’s standout events was the “Kidical Mass Bike Ride”, a global campaign locally organised by Bespoke Cycle Group. Parents, children, local councillors and residents cycled from the Lawns to Princes Park and back, calling for better cycling infrastructure, particularly along the seafront, to enable safer cycling for children and promote active, eco-friendly transport.

Tomas Siroky and Robert McGowan leading the way. Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Water walks, water talks, water museums and more

A guided walk on Pevensey Levels on the first Sunday explored wetland biodiversity and conservation efforts. The “Paddle Out” protest, on the following Saturday, drew more than 30 people and numerous beachgoers to demand action on the sewage crisis and year-round water- quality testing.

At The View Hotel, Compass Community Arts and Strandliners, supported by Blue Heart funding, created the interactive “Museum of Water”, using water samples to highlight local water health and its environmental journey.

Events throughout the week included litter picks, educational talks, bench dances, walks, art exhibitions, well-being sessions and family-friendly activities.

The Pevensey Levels walk was guided by Andrew Durling and Robert McGowan of EEAN. Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Political engagement

Festival participants included Liberal Democrat councillors Tom Nevill, Ali Dehdashty and Andy Collins; Conservative councillor David Small and peer Lord Ralf Lucas; and 2024 Green Party parliamentary candidate Mike Munson. MP Josh Babarinde, who spoke at the opening ceremony, also tabled a parliamentary motion recognising the festival and advocating for cleaner water and reduced plastic use. In 2017, over a million plastic bottles were bought globally every minute, many ending up in waterways and landfills.

Closing ceremony

The festival concluded at Holywell Beach, where a natural spring meets the sea, with a performance art piece accompanied by a violinist. Cllr James Murray praised PFE’s initiatives, including refill water stations and local beach clean-ups. The event closed with Oliver Sterno officially handing over the leadership to the new PFE coordinator, Chris Mason.