First Light Festival 2024 in Lowestoft: All you need to know

International acts are set to hit town as First Light Festival returns to Lowestoft for another free midsummer extravaganza.

Award-winning performers, musicians, DJs, bands, big names and new talent will shine on South Beach with 40,000 people expected to flock to town for First Light Festival 2024 on June 22/23.

Art, music, dance, poetry, comedy, science and much more will take centre stage for this fantastic free event, as organisers First Light CIC announced something will be available for everyone this year.

Sunrise on South Beach, Lowestoft at First Light Festival 2023. Picture: First Light Festival CIC (Image: First Light Festival CIC)

Whether you have been to Lowestoft before, or this is your first time visiting, here's all you need to know about this year's family-friendly festival.

Where is it?

The festival takes place on Lowestoft's South Beach, as well as at Kensington Gardens, the Upper Esplanade and Jubilee Parade.

There are a number of music and event sites around the beach, while events will also be held at Mossy's nightclub in Lowestoft, the Seagull Theatre in Pakefield, St John & St Peter’s Church in Kirkley, at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club in Lowestoft and at East Point Pavilion in Lowestoft.

Do I need a ticket?

First Light is free and unticketed.

The only time you will need a ticket is if you want to attend one of the festival's Sundown Events on Saturday night once the free beach programme finishes at 9.30pm.

Which events are ticketed?

Sundown Events include a Silent Disco: Deep Sea Get Down at East Point Pavilion from 9.30pm to 2am on June 22/23.

An Afterparty with Coco María will be held at Mossy's from 10pm to 2am on June 22/23.

Shaparak Khorsandi will perform Scatter Brain at the Seagull Theatre from 10pm to 11pm on June 22.

Shaparak Khorsandi will perform Scatter Brain. (Image: Courtesy of Shaparak Khorsandi)

The Jazz Unlimited Trio will perform at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club  from 10pm to midnight on June 22.

Tickets cost £12 to £14 via firstlightlowestoft.com/ticketed

You can also book places to wild camp on the beach or pull up your campervan to the festival's pop-up cliffside.

What are the festival timings?

On Saturday, June 22 a packed first day of FREE entertainment will run from noon to 9.30pm.

As night falls, between 10pm and 2am, the party moves off the sand and into venues around Lowestoft for ticketed Sundown Events.

Celebrations at First Light Festival 2023. Picture: First Light Festival CIC (Image: First Light Festival CIC)

At 3.30am on Sunday, June 23, gather on the beach and join the sunrise celebration for an unforgettable free dawn experience of music and meditation with the rising sun until 5.45am.

From 10am to 4pm on Sunday, the festivities continue.

Music and DJ's line up

This year’s Sunlight Stage headliners are Rotterdam-based band Another Taste, who will perform between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, June 22.

Legendary DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy. (Image: Eilon Paz)

Also headlining on the main Sunlight Stage this year is legendary DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, from 7pm to 8pm on Saturday, June 22.

One of the most unique and uncompromising DJs in the world, Coco María, will headline the Sunlight Stage from 12.15pm to 1pm on Sunday, June 23
Sunlight Stage

Other Sunlight Stage highlights include Young Gun Silver Fox, led by Andy Platts and Shawn Lee - two of the UK’s most prolific and versatile pop music linguists - at 5.45pm to 6.30pm on Saturday, June 22.

Live music project Spirit of Sundaze Ensemble (1.30pm-2.30pm) and New York-based Slambovian Circus of Dreams (3pm-4pm) will be closing this year’s festival programme on the Sunlight Stage on Sunday, June 23.

Before the official festival starts East Point Pavilion will host a house, garage and techno Pre-Festival Party with DJs Student Loan, Shelly, Shaggy FX and Poon on Friday, June 21.

This year’s Saturday late night Moonlit Soundscapes free and un-ticketed programme at St Peter & St John’s Church in Kirkley includes atmospheric and acoustic music by leading local and international artists.

One of the highlights of the festival, the Dawn programme invites all early risers for an extraordinary, reflective experience while welcoming the sunrise on Sunday morning.

This year’s artist in residence, Steve Pretty, will bring his conch shells to create a looped phonic soundscape at dawn.

Composer Alex Groves and viola player Nic Pendlebury premiere their new piece (led by the heart) my feet will follow, a sonic exploration of landscapes both real and imagined.

Colleen Cosmo Murphy returns to stage with her iconic Balearic Breakfast to conclude the Dawn programme on Sunday, June 23.

This year 30 emerging artists aged 16-25 who applied to this year’s New Dawn Callout will be performing across the festival weekend on the beach and the New Dawn takeover at East Point Pavilion.

Playbreak showcases some of the best musicians aged 25+ who live, work and gig regularly in Lowestoft at First Light Festival - with eight acts playing across the festival weekend.

The 2024 New Dawn headliner Finn Doherty, and the chosen Playbreak musician CamT, will be performing on the main First Light stage as well as at this year’s Latitude Festival at the end of July.

The DJs in the Dunes line-up is set to get everyone dancing on the beach alongside the waves with Levi Fruits, Ben Osborne, The Hemingways, DJ Feltsuit and Pillow Princess ft Effy Mai & Alina.

The return of the much-loved Gardens Stag in the stunning Kensington Gardens will showcase local and regional talent alike, including The Rabble Chorus, Ezme Gaze, Dove and Boweevil, Cubanda, Klezmerized, Lowestoft Longshoremen and much more.

How do I get to Lowestoft?

Visitors are asked to travel by public transport, walk or cycle to South Beach in a bid to reduce congestion and pollution in Lowestoft.

Regular trains and buses will be running to and from the town throughout the weekend.

For more information on the line-up, visit firstlightlowestoft.com