TOWN councillors have agreed to help bridge a funding gap for this year’s Minehead Bay Festival, which is to be held on the Saturday of the August bank holiday weekend.

Festival organisers Minehead Coast and Development Trust (MCDT) told councillors in February how up to £10,000 a new money was needed to secure this year’s event.

It is West Somerset’s largest free, one-day festival and takes place along Minehead sea front with up to 5,000 people attending.

Councillors discussed a sponsorship proposal from MCDT at their monthly meeting after having earlier deferred a decision pending a further meeting with the trust to obtain more information, which took place in early April.

A number of questions were put at the follow‐up meeting, which the festival organisers addressed.

Councillors acknowledged that the festival offered a wide range of entertainment throughout the day and that events of this nature were generally beneficial to the town and deserving of support.

Town clerk Ben Parker told councillors they had power under the Local Government Act 1972 to sponsor such event.

Councillors agreed, with Cllr Marcus Kravis abstaining from the vote because he had a ‘personal interest’ in the issue, to pledge £2,500 in sponsorship for the August 29 event and also to be involved in it as a ‘festival partner’.

MCDT operations manager Zara Aitken said: “Planning for the Minehead Bay Festival is stepping up, and it is a great reminder that this is a truly community-led event.

“From volunteers to local partners, it is people who make it what it is.

“This is a community effort in every sense, and it is the energy, skills, and enthusiasm of local people that will make the festival what it is.”

Anybody who wants to join the festival volunteer crew or support the event can find out how to do so via its website.

As well as the 2026 event, MCDT is also looking to the festival’s longer-term future and has an ambition to grow Minehead Bay Festival into a larger, Minehead-wide celebration.

It wants to reach more people, create more creative opportunities, and deliver even greater social and economic impact for the town.

To achieve such growth it needs the support of the community and local businesses and partners to ensure the positive, community-led cultural event can continue for many years to come, which it hopes to do through its 2026 sponsorship opportunities.

A spokesperson said: “The Minehead Bay Festival gives local businesses a valuable platform to engage with the community.

“It is a chance to promote your services or products and raise the profile of your brand with thousands of visitors.

“Sponsoring the festival places your business in front of new potential customers while showing your commitment to local events and community life.

“It is a simple, effective way to build awareness, strengthen your reputation, and support a vibrant summer celebration in Minehead.

“In return for your support, partners benefit from meaningful visibility and engagement through a trusted local festival.”