Plymouth's colourful calendar of summer events

Residents of, and visitors to, Plymouth are in for a treat this year as the city plays host to an exciting programme of events to commemorate the First World War centenary and celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the amalgamation of the three towns of Plymouth, Devonport and East Stonehouse, which went on to form the city of Plymouth as we know it today.

The 2014 Plymouth Remembers events programme features annual favourites such as the British Fireworks Championships, Plymouth Pirate Weekend and Flavour Fest as well as a special MTV concert and world-class international sailing race La Solitaire du Figaro – Eric Bompard Cachemire.

Highlights include:

The Plymouth History Festival (1–31 May) celebrates the city’s unique heritage and features over 100 different events. The line-up includes a range of exhibitions, displays, guided tours, talks, music and entertainment as well as special events including the Smeaton’s Tower Treasure Hunt, Family History Day and Museums at Night 2014.

In June around 40 of the world’s top solo off-shore sailors will be racing into Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour as part of Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard Cachemire (11-14 June). Their arrival will be followed by a full events programme throughout the week including sailing taster sessions, music from the Jazz and Blues Festival and a race village featuring food and clothes stalls as well as a children’s activity area.
The annual Lord Mayor’s Day (14th June) will welcome the new Lord Mayor into their role. The programme will feature an entertainment stage in the Piazza, community stalls on New George Street and Armada Way, a children's Play Area on Guildhall Square and of course a spectacular walking parade which will leave Plymouth University at 1pm and walk through the streets of the City Centre before arriving at the Piazza.

Armed Forces Day (Saturday 28 June) sponsored by Babcock, will feature land, sea and air displays from current personnel, veterans, cadet forces, support agencies and charities. The air show will feature a variety of flying displays, including a search and rescue display by a Sea King in Plymouth Sound.  There will be two parades across the Hoe during the day; one by the newly formed 165 Port and Maritime Regiment. The Central Band of the RAF will be performing on the day; there will be static village displays from each of the tri-services and our Veteran’s communities and there will even be a Merlin helicopter on display. In the evening there will be a fantastic entertainment programme including music from Joey and the Lips, Supersonic, The Vibes and Rhapsody The Definitive Queen Tribute Act.

Throughout July and August Plymouth will host Family Films on the Big Screen (24 and 31 July and 7 August). Families can watch a selection of fantastic kid’s films on the outdoor City Centre Big Screen in the summer sun. Film titles to be announced soon.

Description: Description: photographer - bao xiou 088MTV Crashes Plymouth (Tuesday 15 July) is a one-off spectacular live music event, being organised by MTV in collaboration with Plymouth City Council. It will take place on Plymouth Hoe on and feature a number of headline music acts include chart topping British band Kaiser Chiefs. The event will be broadcast on MTV’s flagship UK music TV channels MTV Music and MTV Live HD and subsequently across its other music channels, showcasing Britain's Ocean City in over 35 countries. As well as live coverage of the performances, MTV will be screening interviews with the acts, filmed in various Plymouth locations.

Plymouth will be holding a First World War Commemoration (Monday 4th August) evening event from 9.30pm-11.30pm at the Cenotaph on Plymouth Hoe. To mark this historic day Plymouth will be bringing together communities and visitors of all ages to commemorate those who fought and died in the First World War.

British Firework Championships (Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 August) is believed to be Britain’s most spectacular fireworks display and features six top pyrotechnics companies who set off four tonnes of fireworks over Plymouth Sound as they battle it out to become the British Fireworks champion. Plymouth’s Hoe offers the perfect viewing platform for this truly incredible competition.

Celebrating its 11th anniversary this year Flavour Fest (Friday 15 to Sunday 17 August) is the largest free food festival in the South West. It showcases the best of regional produce alongside demonstrations and food theatre from some of the top names in cooking. Every August the event attracts over 150,000 visitors to Plymouth as more than 100 regional food and drink producers line Armada Way transforming the city centre into a bustling hub with plenty of tempting treats to try and buy.

Plymouth’s annual Ocean City Festival (8–28 September) returns bigger and better in 2014. The festival is designed to offer a fun and engaging way for families and visitors to enjoy the city, taste great food, see fascinating marine life, experience inspiring art and music and learn about a world beneath the waves. The event also aims to raise awareness, nationally and internationally, of Plymouth’s role as a leading UK marine city, for research, leisure, heritage and local produce.

As part of the Ocean City Festival Plymouth’s Plymouth’s Seafood Festival (Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September) will showcase the fantastic quality of seafood available in Plymouth, both local and celebrity chefs will create a range of mouth-watering dishes from the catch of the day.

So why not tie in a visit to Plymouth with one of the city’s colourful 2014 events, full of activities, experiences and commemorations this centenary year.

For further information on Plymouth Remembers please visit: www.visitplymouth.co.uk/plymouthremembers

For more information on events in Plymouth visit: www.visitplymouth.co.uk/events