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Seafront celebrates first City Day festival

Laura Foster
BBC News, Southend-on-Sea
Stephen Huntley/BBC Two young women in a crowd singing and waving their hands to the musical performance. Stephen Huntley/BBC
Revellers enjoyed one of 70 performances put on across Southend's seafront

Thousands of people joined celebrations for Southend's first City Day.

The event on Saturday was held three years to the date since the area was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

The all-day festival included live performances from actors, singers and dancers, and was headlined by Basildon-born actress and presenter Denise Van Outen, who hosted a DJ set in the evening.

Southend City Council leader, Labour's Daniel Cowan, said some 50,000 people enjoyed the "amazing" event.

"City Day is about showing people what Southend is, and really trying to capture that civic pride that we want all people to have in the place that they live," he said.

Stephen Huntley/BBC Hundreds of people milling about together in the street with a large banner saying Southend above them.Stephen Huntley/BBC
Some 50,000 people joined in celebrations for Southend's first City Day
Singers from the Music Man Project wearing blue shirts claps and sing. Small drums and tambourines can be seen in in front of the performers.
The Music Man Project's performance had extra significance as the city's late MP, Sir David Amess, had been its president

Southend City Stage and the Southend City Songwriters Stage saw community choirs, amateur dramatic groups and bands performing.

Choir members, singing into microphones.
Southend Vox choir got the crowds going
Stephen Huntley/BBC The pleasure beach at Southend. The sea is in the distance with a large ferris wheel and other fairground attractions in the foregrounds.Stephen Huntley/BBC
A sunny day greeted people attending Southend-on Sea's first City Day

More than 30 artists helped to transform the city centre with their street art at a live outdoor painting event, led by local artist Andy Downes.

People with street-facing windows were encouraged to decorate them for the day.

Stephen Huntley/BBC An artist painting a small canvas. The image is colourful and is an interpretation of the view of buildings and park.Stephen Huntley/BBC
Artists were dotted across the city centre painting landscapes and city scapes
Stephen Huntley/BBC Sir David Amess holding a face mask that has "make Southend a city" printed in white font on it. Sir David is wearing a navy suit and tie and is standing in front of a brick wall.Stephen Huntley/BBC
Sir David Amess spent years campaigning for Southend-on-Sea to become a city before he was murdered by a terrorist in 2021.

The bestowment of city status came after a lifetime of campaigning from Southend's former MP, Sir David Amess, a veteran Conservative and Southend West MP.

Sir David's greatest wish was awarded a year after he was murdered during a constituency surgery in October 2021.

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