When promoters and event organisers want to host a large-scale event in Northern Lincolnshire, they come to Meridian Showground.
Located towards the south of Cleethorpes, just a pebble’s throw away from the beach, is a dedicated, purpose-built outdoor events arena. You can’t miss it. You’ll often see the big top of a travelling circus or hear the booming music of a festival as you travel down the resort.
It’s the home of a variety of events, many of which return year after year due to overwhelmingly popular demand. Meridian Showground hosts Fake Festivals, Gathering Fest, Race for Life, food festivals, and outdoor cinemas, as well as fringe events for the biggest weekends in the Cleethorpes calendar, like Armed Forces Weekend with an overall footfall of over 100,000 people – to name just a few.
The reason for its success is its flexibility. Meridian Showground was designed to be open plan, so that the venue can accommodate all kinds of open-air entertainment in the 16,000m2 space. There is a three-story control tower with a box office, office space, PA system, radio control, first aid and lost children’s support area, and two balconies overlooking the arena and queueing area at the entrance. The public can enter via two gates, with an additional three gates for production or emergency use. On site, there are two permanent toilet blocks with disability cubicles.
When it comes to catering, the team at Meridian Showground work closely with excellent street food providers who are fully equipped to supply all types of cuisine, hot and cold. It is also a licensed venue for alcohol, bringing in a selection of mobile bars including Grimsby’s incredibly popular brewery and taphouse, Docks Beers.
Discover Cleethorpes
To start, let’s talk about the people. You have a ready-made audience with around three million visitors travelling to the resort ever year, and the local residents getting behind each event and supporting what’s on. Meridian Showground has a licensed capacity of 5,000 people, which can quickly be filled once word starts spreading around the town and further afield to the tourists that frequent from Scunthorpe, Hull, Doncaster, Sheffield, Lincoln, and beyond. This number can be increased if a larger licensed capacity is needed.
Getting to Meridian Showground is easy. By road, you travel along the A180, A46, or A16 with sign posts leading you to the venue once you reach the town. A TransPennine Express train makes its way into Cleethorpes station every hour, travelling from Manchester through Sheffield, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, and nearby villages. For visitors travelling by bus, there are bus stops just outside the arena.
Meridian Showground is located close to tourist amenities; Cleethorpes beach, the Boating Lake, and Haven’s Thorpe Park holiday park. A 10-minute drive or a leisurely walk towards the heart of the resort takes you to pubs, bars, restaurants, and of course fish and chip shops.
For accommodation, you’ll find a newly-built Premier Inn just across the road, and several B&Bs towards the centre of Cleethorpes. Next door, there is the Cleethorpes Showground camping site for caravans and motorhomes, and the Beachcomber holiday park as well Haven’s Thorpe Park. In the wider North East Lincolnshire area, you’ll find luxury and country house hotels, as well as self-catering lodges and cottages. If you have any questions about where to stay and about group bookings, please get in touch – the team are always happy to help.
For more information about booking Meridian Showground, email meridianshowground@nelincs.gov.uk, call 01472 324615, or chat with us on Facebook @MeridianShowground and Instagram @meridianshowground.
SPONSORED CONTENT
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
