Hastings Jack in the Green – Hastings, England 2026

Overview

Hastings Jack in the Green is a joyous, ancient rite of spring reborn in the medieval streets of Hastings, East Sussex, drawing over 50,000 revelers to its four-day communion of folk music, morris dancing, and communal revelry that honors the town’s chimney sweep heritage with a riot of green-clad Jack figures, jingling bells, and fiddles weaving through the Old Town’s cobbled lanes and fishing nets. Revived in 1983 by Mad Jack’s Morris (now Hastings RX Morris) after a century’s slumber, this registered charity (No. 1180939) has become the UK’s largest Jack in the Green event, blending over 20 dance sides and folk bands with parades, ceilidhs, and the climactic stripping of Jack’s foliage to release summer’s spirit amid the Stade’s pebbled shores and 1066 battlefields; for 2026 (May 1-4, based on the May Day Bank Holiday), building on 2025’s 43rd edition, anticipate a return to its eclectic mix of traditional Cotswold morris, Appalachian clogs, and international troupes in a setting that pulses with the Medway’s murmur and the town’s smugglers’ lore.

What sets Hastings Jack apart is its profound communal alchemy—free entry to parades and accessibility via detailed policies ensure inclusivity, while its volunteer ethos nurtures a space where strangers join bogie circles in the West Hill or sway to sweeps’ songs in the Stag Inn, honoring its 17th-century milkmaid and sweep roots with a festival that champions diversity through equal opportunities and child protection; as a 40+ year beacon of resilience, it’s a rite of renewal that honors the Jack’s green veil with music and merriment, leaving hearts lighter and heels higher with the timeless thrill of shared festivity.

Event Highlights

• Main activities or performances: Over 100 folk music and dance events, including the Saturday parade led by Jack and Sal through the Old Town, ceilidhs at the Albion, and concerts at the White Rock Theatre with bands like The Signing Loins; past editions featured Hannah’s Cat Morris in pink and purple, and 2026 announcements pending but expected to continue the blend of Cotswold morris, rapper swords, and international styles in daily waves from Friday workshops to Monday’s dispersal, program-free but guided by the festival map for seamless seaside navigation.
• Special traditions or features: Annual Jack awakening and stripping in the procession, rooted in 1983’s revival; volunteer-driven with open calls for dance sides; accessibility via ramped venues and disabled parking; ties into Hastings’ 1066 heritage with gigs in the Fishermen’s Museum, blending music with the town’s net-mending walls and castle echoes in a setting as lively as its pirate lore.
• Unique attractions for visitors: The bogies’ cheeky guardianship of Jack during the 2km parade; the Stag Inn’s step-free pub session; family-friendly with children’s events in the West Hill; the festival’s compact Old Town layout fosters serendipity, from Croft Road ramps to Pelham Place parking, in a town where every corner jingles with the Channel’s call.

Why attend

Hastings Jack in the Green is a verdant May Day invocation in Sussex’s medieval heart, where fiddles fret over castle stones and bells jingle like the sea’s foam, offering a festival that’s less spectacle and more springtime serenade—perfect for folk aficionados craving community over commerce, with its free parades ensuring accessibility amid the town’s net-draped walls, far from festival overload. Its 40-year legacy of volunteer passion turns the High Street into a canvas where Hannah’s Cat’s pink twirls meet sweeps’ songs in a whirl of color and clamor, fostering a space where locals and wanderers dance as one amid ramparts and real ales.

Beyond the bands, it’s a catalyst for coastal kinship: kids joining bogie processions in the Stade, strangers circling for impromptu reels in the Albion, and the quiet thrill of a Sunday stripping that blurs street and saga; as a charitable rite of resilience, attending sustains a Hastings legacy, leaving you recharged, with a program full of scribbled setlists, and humming chants on the homeward cobbles—ideal for rediscovering folk’s buoyant power to gather, groove, and greet the sun in England’s walled wonder.

Date & Duration

Dates: May 1 – May 4, 2026, Duration: 4 days

Venue / Location

Hastings Old Town center serves as the primary venue, with events across the High Street for parades, White Rock Theatre for concerts, Fishermen’s Museum for exhibits, and pubs like the Stag Inn and Albion for sessions; West Hill for outdoor sites; all within walking distance in the compact medieval town; no additional off-site. Main Google location address: High Street, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3ES, United Kingdom

Ticket Information

• Tickets sold online via the official site (hastingstraditionaljackinthegreen.co.uk/tickets) or at venues; some free events like parades, others ticketed for concerts; early booking for White Rock shows.
• Admission mixed; all-ages with some adult content; under-16s free with adult.
• Ticket pricing: Individual concerts range from free to ~$13-$26 USD (£10-£20); festival bundles ~$39-$65 USD (£30-£50); some sessions free.
• Special seating or VIP options: No formal VIP; accessibility via detailed policies (e.g., ramps at White Rock, disabled toilets); contact for needs.
• Minimum and maximum ticket price range: Minimum free (parades, some sessions); Maximum ~$65 USD (£50, multi-concert pass).

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Contact Information

• Email: hastingsjackinthegreen@gmail.com (general inquiries, tickets).
• Phone: Not specified; use email or contact form.
• Website: https://hastingstraditionaljackinthegreen.co.uk (official site for program, tickets, accessibility).
• Social media: @hastingsjackinthegreen (Facebook primary).
• Key staff: Volunteer committee—contact via email.
• Press/Volunteers: Press via email; volunteer opportunities via site (open for stewarding, dance sides).
• Note: Response time ~24–48 hours. English support; newsletter for updates.

Getting There

• Nearest airports: London Gatwick (LGW, ~60 miles/1.5-hour drive); London City Airport (LCY, ~50 miles/1-hour drive).
• Public transport: Trains to Hastings Station (1 mile/20-min walk, ~1.5 hours from London Bridge); buses 100/101 from Tunbridge Wells (~1 hour).
• Parking: Disabled spaces at Stade Open Space (TN34 3FJ, ~£3/day, ~$3.90 USD); town center ~£1.50/hour (~$1.95 USD); Park & Ride from Priory Meadow (~£5/day, ~$6.50 USD).
• Driving directions: From A21 (London to Hastings), follow signs to Old Town; sat-nav TN34 3ES; ~1.5 hours from London.

Accommodation Options

• On-site camping: Not available; town-based.
• Glamping and VIP: No; some hotels offer packages.
• Nearby hotels: The White Rock Hotel (0.2 miles, sea views, ~$130 USD/night) or The Grand Hotel Hastings (0.5 miles, breakfast included, ~$110 USD); book via Booking.com.
• Local B&Bs and rentals: The Old Rectory (1 mile, coastal charm, ~$100 USD) or Airbnb cottages in St Leonards (2 miles, ~$150 USD); 20+ options—book early for May.

Reviews

• Jack’s parade thundered—RX Morris a riot, bogies a delight, and Hastings’ welcome salty; medieval folk nirvana.
• Albion ceilidh soared—diverse lineup a joy, easy strolls, and Stade breeze magic; back for the reel.
• Workshops wove delight, sets soulful; some free joys, and walls’ echo gold—timeless Sussex tune.