Southport Weekender Festival

About Southport Weekender Festival

Forty years on from its 1987 start, Southport Weekender Festival 2027 runs in Bognor Regis, England as an 18+ soul and house music weekender.

The 2027 edition runs from 5 to 7 March. More than 6,000 people attend across the three-day weekend, with bookings tied to resort accommodation rather than standalone tickets.

Lineup and Programme

The bill leans into soul and house, with funk, R&B, hip-hop, jazz and deep house also in the programme. It’s an indoor, room-to-room format.

The arena names include Powerhouse, Connoisseur's Corner, FunkBase and Beat Bar, within a six-arena setup. The weekend centres on live DJs and artists, night-time dancing, bars and restaurants across the resort.

Who Is It For?

The event is restricted to 18s and over. Its audience is an adult crowd of dedicated dancers and music fans with a strong pull for soulful, house-led black music culture.

It is not a child-friendly festival in age terms. Access to the entertainment is for residents booked into the weekend.

The Venue and Site

The site is Butlin’s Bognor Regis on Upper Bognor Road, a resort setting rather than a camping field. Accommodation is part of the booking model.

There is no camping. Tents, gazebos, BBQs, stoves and gas canisters are prohibited, while resort facilities include bars, restaurants and grab-and-go outlets, plus a fairground, free Wi‑Fi and accessible accommodation options.

Travel to Southport Weekender Festival

Butlin’s Bognor Regis sits on Upper Bognor Road in West Sussex, with rail access via Bognor Regis and some routes changing at Barnham.

• Nearest station: Bognor Regis railway station, about five minutes from the resort.
• Rail changes: Some services require a change at Barnham.
• Road access: The resort is reached via Upper Bognor Road, with routes from London using the M25.
• Parking: Free on-resort parking is available; Butlin’s Bognor Regis has more than 1,500 on-site spaces and spaces cannot be reserved.
• City distances: London is just over an hour by car and roughly an hour from London Victoria by train; Portsmouth Harbour is around 24 miles away.