Walton-on-the-Naze, a seaside town in Essex, hosts Between the Tides from 17 to 20 September, a festival using the coastal landscape and community spaces as a setting for art and local events.

Organisers say the festival opens on the evening of 17 September, including with an open-air cinema, and runs through 20 September. It combines an arts trail, music, storytelling and community activity on the beach, the seafront, at Naze Tower and in spaces around the town.

Location is an important part of the festival’s identity. Walton-on-the-Naze is known for its beach, seafront and coastal landscape, and the event seeks to connect those features with music, art and community activity.

Unlike major festivals contained within a single enclosed site, Between the Tides is built around multiple spaces and experiences.

That format can also integrate local businesses and organisations into festival activity.

Anyone planning to attend should check each day’s official programme, venues and access conditions directly because different activities may have different requirements.

The event illustrates how a smaller festival can use a town’s identity and landscape to create a cultural experience distinct from major urban events.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay Licence. Beach (archive photograph, not from Between the Tides 2026). Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Between the Tides, Walton Arts Festival | 17–20 September 2026.