Hastings Pier
View of Hastings Pier from White Rock Gardens before the fire
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| Official name | Hastings Pier |
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| Type | Pleasure Pier with landing stages |
| Locale | Hastings, East Sussex |
| Design | Eugenius Birch |
| Owner | Hastings Pier Charity |
| Total length | 910 feet (280 m) |
| Width | 45 feet (14 m) to 190 feet (58 m) |
| Opening date | 5 August 1872 |
Coordinates: 50°51′08″N 0°34′22″E / 50.852202°N 0.572645°E
Hastings Pier is a pleasure pier in Hastings, East Sussex, England. Built in 1872 and enjoying its prime in the 1930s, it became a popular music venue in the 1960s. The structure suffered major storm damage in 1990, and was closed to the public for a time before closing completely in 2008, and being heavily damaged by a fire in 2010. Hastings Pier Charity oversaw a reconstruction project, with the pier reopening on 27 April 2016.
The pier was opened on 5 August 1872 by the then Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Earl of Granville. It was designed by Eugenius Birch, who also designed the West Pier, Brighton and Eastbourne Pier, both west of Hastings, and it is often seen as an innovative design considering the technical constraints of the late Victorian period. The pier was "constructed by a local company", while the contractors were the firm R Laidlaw & Son, Glasgow. 600 guests sat down to lunch on the pier immediately following the opening ceremony, and included the local member of parliament Thomas Brassey and Egyptian princes.
The original 2,000 seater pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1917. This was eventually replaced in 1922 and played host in the 1960s and the 1970s to notable artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Genesis, Tom Jones, Ten Years After, and Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett played his last ever show with the band here on 20 January 1968.
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