Eastbourne Steampunk festival takes over town’s landmarks

The festival is a wild celebration of the Steampunk genre, with classic 19th-century attire on show, unique events such as tea duelling, and a Victorian procession—fused with a futuristic theme that brings classic steam-powered technology into fifth gear.

Steampunk is a literary genre, a design style, and a subculture that blends the aesthetics of the 19th-century Victorian era with science fiction and retro-futuristic technology – primarily steam-powered machines.

The festival took place in Eastbourne on the September 6 and 7, with live music from a variety of musical acts being a constant feature of the event—alongside creative workshops and artisan stalls.

Humorous festivities such as tea duelling also took place, whereby competitors must dunk a biscuit into a cup of tea and ‘nom’ it without allowing any crumbs to fall into the beverage below.

If there was a ‘best dressed’ contest, this guy must have been a contender (Image: Andrew Wickens) However, the beating heart of the Steampunk Festival was undoubtedly the parade, which took place each day from the Eastbourne Pier to the Wish Tower slopes, allowing the attendees to display their sartorial elegance.

Eastbourne’s own Stix Drummers led the parade on Saturday, with corsets, top hats, and heart-thumping drumming all within their repertoire.

Sunday’s procession saw the Eastbourne Scottish Pipe Band lead the way, who themselves have been active since 1898, making them one of the oldest non-military pipe bands in the world.

The event is organised by Eastbourne’s Bonfire Society and as an annual feature, should return to Eastbourne in September 2026.