Fun day at site of iconic venue as reopening looms

An event is to take place at an iconic seafront venue in Kent for the first time in four years.

Margate Winter Gardens, which has hosted both The Beatles and Laurel and Hardy, closed its doors in August 2022, with its future uncertain.

Plans for a multi-million-pound renovation were approved in 2025, with indoor events set to begin again in March 2027.

The free family fun day on is taking place on Saturday and Sunday on the green outside the venue.

Carved into a cliffside in Margate in 1911, the Winter Gardens is considered a monument to the grandeur and elegance of the seaside town's former heyday.

The neo-Grecian style banqueting and conference hall was intended to be a focal point for the town's local community and the pre-World War One generation of well-to-do seaside visitors.

In addition to renovating the venue, plans were announced in February for a rooftop bar and restaurant, a drama school and a 100-place nursery.

A spokesperson for operator Westwood One Theatre said: "We've got two days of summer fun lined up with two very different vibes.

"The whole weekend is free and we'd love to see you there."

Events at Summer Weekender include DJ sets, food stalls and craft workshops.

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