Thousands enjoy Bangor's Seaside Revival vintage fest

Thousands turned up to enjoy festivities including live music, a vintage car show and the historic 'Pickie to Pier' swim. Credit: UTV

Around 20,000 people arrived into Bangor to soak up vintage festivities as part of a Seaside Revival.

Saturday's event kicked off from Skippingstone beach where hundreds of open water swimmers lined the shore for an historic race.

The 'Pickie to Pier' swim dates back to 1910 and was an annual summer staple in Bangor's calendar.

Sunbathers enjoying Bangor's Pickie Pool in 1964. Credit: UTV Archive

The 650 metre race saw participants swim from Skippingstone beach beside Pickie Fun Park to Eisenhower Pier.

The race stopped going ahead in the 1980s due to a preference for warm, indoor swimming pools.

However, after a recent surge in open water swimming and the benefits that come with it, organisers of the Seaside Revival brought it back.

  • UTV reporter Eden Wilson tested the waters before the big race:

It's the second vintage festival in a three-year project led by Open House Festival and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Great Place Scheme, that aims to re-establish Bangor as a thriving seaside town.

The mile-line stretch of vintage spectacles included a 60+ stall vintage flea market, vinyl DJs, classic cars, vintage fashion shows, dog shows, donkey carriage rides, Punch & Judy and live music

Vintage festivities lined the promenade from Skippingstone beach to the McKee Clock. Credit: UTV