The Bottle Alley Art Market (BAAM) returns for its third year on August 23, transforming the 480-meter seafront walkway between Hastings and St Leonards into the UK's longest beachside art market. Featuring 70 artists from local talents to national figures, the free event includes live portrait sessions by Xinchu Zhang, performances by Jude Montague and Caroline Gregory, DJ sets from Simon and the Pope, and a fabric installation by Mew Welch, David Harris, and Zeroh. Organised by Zeroh, Daniel Hardiker, and Neil Hetherington, the market runs from 10am to 6pm on the bank holiday weekend.
This event matters because it supports the local creative economy by providing a platform for both emerging and established artists to sell work directly to the public, with over 12,000 visitors last year demonstrating its growing impact. By turning a historic 1930s walkway into a vibrant art-buying spectacle, BAAM fosters community engagement with contemporary art while celebrating the heritage of Bottle Alley, a site that has also served as a backdrop for films and TV series.