In 2014, following the suicide of a well-known local musician after a long battle with depression, a group of his friends decided to hold a small concert in his memory. The event was designed to raise spirits and boost the town’s sense of community.

The first WinterFest took place in 2015 – a four-day music and arts festival run by volunteers at at different venues around Brightlingsea. It raised over £2,000 for Mind UK and has since gone on to raise thousands more for Mid and North East Essex Mind, a self-funded subsidiary of Mind UK. Since 2019 the event puts most of  the money it raises into the WinterFest Wellbeing Fund, which aims to boost the physical and mental wellbeing of Brightlingsea residents.

From those early beginnings, WinterFest has grown to become a major town event, featuring something for everyone to enjoy with lots of opportunities to get involved.

Come along and banish the winter blues with us!