Weston-super-Mare is known for its beautiful beaches, iconic pier (or two!), and its pre-eminence as a top holiday hotspot. But while you might be dreaming of a traditional summer holiday with a ice cream in one hand and some fish and chips in the other, maybe you’re also up for trying something new. Something a bit unorthodox.
Maybe you enjoy rummaging for great deals and unique treasures just as much as you like scouring the rock pools for limpets and crabs. Maybe you’d like to experience a bit of culture in a unique place. Maybe you’d like to follow the progress on a great comeback for an iconic landmark.
Here’s three exciting things to look forward to in town this year – and one for 2026
Weekly markets
New weekly outdoor markets at the Italian Gardens are being planned for this year. Weston-super-Mare Town Council’s Tourism and Information Services Manager Warren Parker-Mills says that while exact dates have not been confirmed, they’re hoping to have the market up and running by this spring.
It looks like they’ll be something for everyone: “It’s going to be a mix of all sorts, an eclectic market. Depending on how that goes, we might do a featured food market, or one on clothes, or one on crafting.”
The Council is yet to confirm what day of the week the markets will run on.
Perfect for: artisans, rummagers, retail junkies, spendthrifts
Continued work on Birnbeck Pier
Work to revitalise the beloved Birnbeck Pier will continue into 2025. North Somerset Council bought the historic Victorian landmark in summer of 2023 for £400k and have since been working with the RNLI to restore it.
Last October, it was announced that the National Lottery would be injecting £10 million into the scheme. Meanwhile, Historic England have chipped in £1 million, the government has contributed £5.4 million, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund laid down £3.55 million.
The scheme is expected to be completed in 2028, with the opening of a new lifeboat station and visitor’s centre. However, much of the building repairs and construction work on the pier itself will be put into action this year. A representative for North Somerset Council said: “Work has already started with some safety works in preparation for the main restoration work which is due to start in spring 2025.”
Perfect for: history enthusiasts, majestic view enjoyers, past botherers
The reopening of the Old Town Quarry
Warren is enthusiastic about using the Old Town Quarry, which closed to the public in 2023, as a performance space. The Town Council has been given a granted of £700k from the government to fund their plans for the quarry and have even chipped in £200k of their own money.
The possibilities seem endless. Warren explains: “We could have an opera there, we could have a ballet there, we could have things that are not necessarily associated with Weston-Super-Mare.”
Warren says the council are careful to embrace the space in a way that doesn’t disturb nature: “We have to be sympathetic, because one of the restrictions on that is that there are peregrine falcons there and bats. We have to get this balance between preserving the ecologic basis of the quarry and using it sympathetically. That’s the key for us.”
The quarry is set to reopen this summer.
Perfect for: theatre enthusiasts, art appreciators, The Cultured, first dates
The Tropicana
North Somerset Council has been successful in its bid for £2.7m for further improvements to the Tropicana from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), delivered by Arts Council England, within the highly competitive Cultural Development Fund fourth round.
This funding – part of a UK government pot totalling £16.2m – will enable the council to carry out additional work within its project to transform the iconic building on the seafront in Weston-super-Mare.
The funding will be used to:
- improve and fit out interior spaces for culture and entertainment, increasing accessibility, and enabling greater flexibility of use through the ability to hold events and activities of a greater range of sizes
- install equipment such as for lighting and sound to accelerate a future venue operator’s delivery
- deliver a cultural programme in a partnership between the council, the venue operator and local cultural organisations boomsatsuma and Super Culture.
Councillor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “I’m delighted that our bid has been approved – well done to council officers for all their hard work in making this happen. This funding will enable us to work with a venue operator to further secure the longterm viability of the site as a culture and entertainment venue.
“The much-loved Tropicana is a key destination at the heart of Weston’s seafront. Reinventing this iconic landmark building will create new jobs, support local businesses and deliver a year-round experience-led economy for the future. We want to attract higher profile acts, culture and entertainment events to elevate Weston’s place within the regional, national and international scene.”
The Tropicana, which is currently run in-house by the council, must temporarily close to allow construction and refurbishment to take place. While the venue closed earlier this month (January 2025), the Bay Café and the Makers Market concessions at the front of the promenade building will remain open until after the Easter school holidays.
Subject to planning approval, work is due to complete by March 2026. The appointed venue operator would then complete their fit out and reopen the Tropicana shortly afterwards.