Hull will come alive next weekend in a sea of red, white and blue as the city celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Plenty of events are planned to take place across the long weekend as Hull joins the nation in celebrating 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II as the nation’s monarch. There will be something for all the family to enjoy taking place across the city.
The weekend of events will kick-off next Thursday (2 June) with the Humber Platinum Jubilee Flotilla. A flotilla of 70 vessels will set sail from Victoria Pier, parading from Minerva Pier, to the Humber Bridge at Hessle. An RAF Battle of Britain flypast by two Spitfires at Victoria Pier in Hull will signal the start of the flotilla, at 7pm.
The National Beacon Lighting ceremony will also take place on the Marina Bullnose on Thursday (2 June). From 9.30pm a lone piper and bugler will stand on The Deep nose cone as it is lit purple as part of the national lighting scheme for the weekend’s events. They will play music specifically written for the Jubilee, at times that will coincide with other musicians nationally, as 2,022 beacons are lit across the UK. Beacons will also be lit in all 54 Commonwealth capitals, with the Principal Beacon lighting at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Celebrations continue on Friday (3 June) as a 1950s style high tea takes place at Hull Minster. There will be a limited number of free high teas available, with themed music and entertainment and the Queen’s Coronation on a big screen. 1950s cars and a number of stalls will also be stationed in Trinity Square.
Over in Trinity Market there will be a fun-filled day with family entertainment and circus skill workshops also being held on Friday (3 June) 11am-3pm.
Celebrations will continue at the Fruit Market on Friday (3 June) from 11am-4pm, with performances from some of Hull's much-loved performers, and opportunities to sing along and even learn a few dance steps.
On Saturday (4 June) and Sunday (5 June), city centre streets will be a hive of activity with family friendly street entertainment and craft workshops, and a stage with big screen in Queen Victoria Square. A full programme of performances will take visitors right through the day from 11am-11pm on Saturday, and 11am-4pm on Sunday.
On Saturday (4 June), another stage in Trinity Market will have local choir performances between 11am-2pm plus family entertainment, while Princes Quay will host a chess exhibition from 10am-3pm.
Alongside the four days of entertainment, on Saturday there will be a big screen showing the Hungary v England UEFA Nations League group stage game, and the day will culminate with a live link into the Platinum Jubilee Concert taking place on the Mall in London.
On Sunday (5 June) families can also follow Alice down the rabbit hole into Wonderland at the Museums Quarter gardens, as she encounters the Mad Hatter, the fuzzy White Rabbit, the mean Queen of Hearts and many more fantastic characters, 12noon-1pm and 2pm-3pm.
Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “I am sure the residents of Hull will want to get involved in celebrating the milestone achieved by her majesty. Queen Elizabeth II has given 70 years of remarkable service to the country, and it is worthy of celebration.
“I know there are local community groups organising street parties for local residents to get involved with, much like the successful ones for VE day during 2020. Alongside this, there will be many larger events organised for people to see and enjoy. This is a once in a lifetime celebration and we want all of our residents to be a part of the occasion.
“Her Majesty The Queen is the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, and this extended bank holiday weekend is a great opportunity for communities across the country to come together to celebrate the historic milestone. There are so many events planned for the occasion that I am sure everyone will be able to take part.”
Find out more about all the weekend’s celebrations here.
