Whitby Gothic Weekend

Whitby Goth Weekend
Whitby Goth Weekend logo and iconic image of Whitby Abbey
Genre	Gothic rock, Industrial music, Electronic body music, Gothic metal, Synthpop etc
Dates	Twice Yearly (April and October/November)
Location(s)	Whitby, North Yorkshire, England
Years active	1994 – present
Founded by	Jo Hampshire
Website
http://www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk/

Whitby Goth Weekend abbreviated to WGW or referred to by attendees as Whitby, is a twice-yearly music festival for goths, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, organised by Jo Hampshire.

Whitby Goth Weekend is an alternative music festival held in Whitby. The event consists of two nights of live bands (Friday and Saturday) at the town's largest venue, The Spa Pavilion, and three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of alternative trade stalls at the Spa Pavilion, Whitby Leisure Centre, and Whitby Brunswick Centre.

The term "Whitby Goth Weekend" is sometimes used as a generic term to describe events during the week in Whitby as a whole, although the name of the event and its associated logo are registered trademarks of Jo Hampshire of Top Mum Promotions.

The origins of WGW are in a meeting of around forty of Hampshire's pen-pals in 1994. The first meeting was held in the Elsinore, public house in Whitby which with the Little Angel continues to be a meeting point during the weekend. Hampshire said Whitby was chosen for its Dracula connections, although probably more so because the connection had already fostered a sense of acceptance on the part of locals and businesses rather than any inherent romanticism regarding the location.

The festival was held yearly until 1997, when it became twice-yearly in April and October. It has grown into one of the world's most popular goth music events attracting around 1,500+ attendees from across the UK and beyond. The main event is held in the town's largest venue Whitby Spa Pavilion (known as the Spa) and the Bizarre Bazaar 'Goth Market' is also held there and at Whitby Leisure Centre and the Brunswick Centre. Access to the Spa in the evening requires a ticket and live bands play on both Friday and Saturday from 08:00 until about midnight.

The Metropole was often used as an overspill venue for the Spa, with bands due to play the next evening/or playing from the previous evening. In recent years it has been used as a venue for the markets as well as the clubs, Manic Monday and Sexy Sunday. RAW Nightclub and Abbey Wharf are used for official fringe events, and other venues including The Resolution, The Rifle Club and The Metropole are used for unofficial events.

For many years there was an 80's night held at Laughtons, a genuine venue from the 1980s. The night would traditionally end with the song Vagabonds. In 2010 this venue became a Wetherspoons Hotel, but the lineal descendant of the 80's night continues to take place on the Sunday night.