Fun-loving pirates invade seaside town

The festival included a parade, re-enactments and live music

Hundreds of pirates packed into a seaside town for an annual Pirate Fest.

The event in Weymouth, Dorset, is now in its third year and attracts people from all over the country.

A parade saw the town's Millennium Square filled with people wearing elaborate costumes.

Bands also played throughout the weekend at the Hardy Hophouse in St Thomas Street.

Hundreds of pirates gathered in Weymouth's Millennium Square

Although the festival has been held in its current form since 2022, it would have been sooner had it not been for the Covid pandemic, according to Sem Vine, one of the organisers.

She said: "The seed of Weymouth Pirate Fest was sown in the '90s, but really began to take off when the band The Dolmen became involved, writing concept albums and making the live music and parade elements central to the event."

The streets were filled with people wearing elaborate costumes

Joining The Dolmen on the line-up were Celtic Giants and The Shakespearos.

Ms Vine said: "The pirate community is a vast and wonderful, fun-loving community, and many travel from the length and breadth of the country."

The three-day event is funded through the town's Business Improvement District (BID) as well as private sponsorship.

The Dolmen write concept albums for the pirate movement