A new and meaningful event is coming to the community this spring, offering a creative way to explore experiences of grief and loss. The Good Grief Hastings festival will take place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, from 22–25 May 2026, bringing together people from all walks of life to reflect, share, and connect.
Good Grief Hastings has been thoughtfully designed as a compassionate and inclusive space where conversations about bereavement can happen openly. Through a rich programme of creative arts, music, film, theatre, and discussion, the festival encourages people to explore grief not as something to face alone, but as a shared human experience.
The festival is delivered in partnership with St Michael’s Hospice, Good Grief Festival (Bristol), University of Brighton, and local events team 18 Hours. Together, contributing to a wider national initiative that explores how creative community activities can improve wellbeing and address health inequalities, particularly in coastal towns.
Across the four days, there will be a variety of events. These include remembrance walks such as the one in Alexandra Park being held on Friday 22nd, where you will also have the opportunity of dedicating remembrance ribbons, which will later be displayed on the St Michael’s Hospice Remembrance Ribbon Tree. There are also storytelling sessions, talks, film screenings, live performances, and art exhibitions.
St Michael’s Hospice – Remembrance Ribbon Tree
The origins of the festival lie in the wider Good Grief Festival, founded in 2020 by Professor Lucy Selman at the University of Bristol during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when many people were grieving in isolation, the festival created a vital space for collective understanding and support. Since then, it has grown into a nationally recognised event, helping to break down taboos around death and bereavement.
Good Grief Hastings offers a supportive opportunity to engage with grief in a way that feels right, whether that means attending a single session, exploring creative expression, or simply being in the presence of others who understand. It is not about “fixing” grief, but about acknowledging it, sharing it, and finding moments of connection and meaning along the way. The festival programme has details about the events taking place or you can find out more on the Good Grief Hastings website.
