Big Weekend...but what else? Five things about Luton

Luton Town Football Club is known as the Hatters

Thousands of visitors are about to discover that Luton is more than an airport and a football team. Coldplay, Raye and Chase & Status will headline the Radio 1 Big Weekend at Stockwood Park from Friday. The Bedfordshire town has even inspired Canadian film makers to produce an unofficial advert. Here's five things you need to know about the town everyone is talking about.

What's with the hats?

Hats play a massive part in Luton history, which is why the football club, founded in 1885, is nicknamed "The Hatters".

In 2023 hats worn by Beyoncé, Johnny Depp and Doctor Who went on display as part of an exhibition at Stockwood Park Discovery Centre.

Straw boat hats became fashionable in the 18th Century, but Luton had started making them in the 17th Century, due to an abundance of raw materials locally.

The town was home to 500 hat manufacturers in the 1800s with children as young as three attending special schools where they would learn to plait straw.

However, by the end of the century the demand for plait and straw hats declined in favour of trendier felt versions.

Straw hats declined in popularity in the 20th century

By the 1930s, the town was a world leader in hat production, making more than 70 million every year.

Workers developed useful engineering skills and the industry new companies into the town, with car production taking off.

Many of the town's hat factories were demolished or converted to other uses and today only a few manufacturers remain.

One of them, the Hat Factory Arts Centre, can be seen as you exit Luton Railway Station, and anyone unable to get a Big Weekend ticket can watch the festival in the former factory.

The Flamingos of Luton

The Flamingo fountain appeared in the Luton Arndale centre in the 1970s

In the 1960s, work began on the largest undercover shopping centre in Europe.

The Grade II listed buildings in the centre of Luton were demolished to clear space for the Arndale Centre, which opened in 1972.

It was renamed The Mall Luton after it was bought by Capital & Regional in 2006 and is set to be renamed again to Luton Point after Fraser Group bought the site in 2023.

Some of the flamingos are now on display outside The Mall Luton

Lutonians fondly remember a fountain inside the Arndale Centre decorated with eight giant flamingos.

During a refurbishment in the 1990s the fountain was replaced by a smaller display of flamingos in flight hanging from the ceiling.

Those were later removed and replaced again, this time by colourful flamingos painted on a wall.

The smaller fibreglass flamingos were refurbished and installed in Hat Gardens on Silver street in 2023.

People who know more about the location of the fountain have been asked to contact the council.

An international party

Luton Carnival organisers say it is a chance to put the cultures of the town on show

Every year since 1976 thousands have lined the streets for a colourful parade of costumes, music and dancing.

Luton International Carnival is commissioned by Luton Borough Council and produced by the UK Carnival Arts Centre. It brings together local schools, amateur groups and professional carnival performers from all over the world.

Although inspired by African-Caribbean culture, executive director Claudette Whittingham described carnival as a "global tradition".

She said: "Luton is a very diverse community so we're inviting those communities to come and bring their carnival traditions and put them on show."

Organisers are putting the final touches to the Luton Carnival ahead of Monday's parade

According to the council, 55% of the town's residents are from diverse backgrounds, with around 150 different languages and dialects spoken in the borough.

Luton has long been a magnet for immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, South Asia, the Caribbean and parts of Europe.

A 2021 census revealed that more than half of Luton's population are non-white and the most common languages are English, Urdu and Polish.

A spokesperson said: "We’re incredibly proud of the diverse community we have in Luton, and the ways in which they are able to interact with, educate and inspire one another daily."

Famous faces

Strictly winner and documentary maker Stacey Dooley is set to make her West End debut when she takes on the role of Jenny in 2:22 A Ghost Story

Luton has also produced several recognisable faces (and voices) over the last few decades.

Turn on the TV and see Luton-born stars such as actress Emily Atack, documentarian Stacey Dooley and Chaser Paul Sinha.

EastEnders star Colin Salmon attended Ramridge Primary School and Ashcroft High School.

Lutonian Nadiya Hussain won The Great British Bake Off in 2015

In 2015, former Challney High School pupil Nadiya Hussain won the sixth series of The Great British Bake Off.

Singer Paul Young was born in Luton and worked as an apprentice at the Vauxhall Motors factory.

David Arnold, who composed the music for the Daniel Craig Bond film Casino Royale, said he was proud to come from Luton.

And cricketer Monty Panesar used to hide his Luton roots but said in 2019 he was fed up the criticism the town gets.

The Queen's honeymoon in Luton

Luton Hoo hotel has played host to some important visitors

In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip spent part of their honeymoon at a country house in Luton.

The young princess had been lifelong friends with the Wernher family, who first bought the house in 1903.

According to Luton Hoo, the couple returned over the years both publicly and privately for anniversaries.

In 1948, Sir Winston Churchill gave a speech at the house thanking the public for their support during World War Two.

The house was converted into a luxury hotel, golf course and spa in October 2007.

The then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent part of their honeymoon at Luton Hoo in the 1940s

The house and estate has also been a popular filming location for TV and film.

Stanley Kubrick used it for his 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

More recently it appeared in the latest season of Netflix's Bridgerton.

Film crews used Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden - which was also used in Steven Spielberg's War Horse, as well as Wonderwoman.

The Ryder Cup could be the next big event to come to Luton after Central Bedfordshire Council approved proposals to build a "championship-level golf course" at the site.

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