01 — Programme
The wind writes the schedule. We just keep the clock.
Flights are called from the tower by flag. Red means hold, white means launch, and a teal pennant means the giants are coming up — clear the north field.
- 01Fri 14 Aug
Night flight over the tideline
20:30 — 23:00
LED-rigged deltas and a hundred paper lanterns on one line, launched as the sun drops behind the dune.
- 02Sat 15 Aug
Giants on the north field
11:00 — 18:00
Inflatable whales, a forty-metre octopus and the Ostend team flying their rokkaku fleet in formation.
- 03Sun 16 Aug
The children’s fly-in
10:00 — 15:00
Every child who builds a sled kite in the workshop tent flies it in the closing launch at three o’clock.
02 — Makers
Built by hand in sheds, kitchens and school halls.
Every kite on the field is registered with the person who made it. Walk the maker’s row behind dune six and you can ask about the ripstop, the spars and the knots — most of them will hand you the line.
- 212
- kites registered by makers from nine countries
- 3.4 km
- of beach closed to cars for the weekend
- 31st
- edition since a fishermen’s club started it in 1995
03 — Getting there
Bring a spool. Leave the ground.
Shuttle every 20 min from Fenwick station, 08:00 — midnight.
Day pass £6, under-12s free. Night flight is ticketed separately.
Bring a windbreak, layers and your own kite if you have one.