Morecambe Bay Fringe Festival chief slams plans for separate Lancaster event

The organiser of a long-running arts festival in Morecambe has hit out at plans to run a similar event in Lancaster - saying they should be working together.

Matt Panesh of the Morecambe Bay Fringe Festival told Beyond Radio he felt next year's new Lancaster Fringe "risks creating competition for resources" and said the two festivals should have joined forces to create an even bigger event for the area.

But organisers of the Lancaster Fringe Festival said their intention was "not to compete but to broaden the overall cultural offer" in the district.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the new Lancaster festival will run from June 24 to 27 2027 and will aim to showcase a wide range of performers and genres across multiple venues throughout the city.

Morecambe Bay Fringe Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026 and runs from July 20 to August 9, with 40 shows across pubs, theatres, libraries and cinemas, along with an expanded Carnforth fringe of more than 30 shows. 

Mr Panesh said he'd reached out to Lancaster Fringe organisers suggesting they work together rather than on separate events, but the "proposal was rejected".

"My suggestion was simple...rather than creating a new festival immediately before Morecambe Bay Fringe, Lancaster could have become part of a wider Bay Fringe vision connecting Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth, with a longer-term ambition of creating a genuine cultural route around Morecambe Bay," he said.

"Artists could preview work in Lancaster before moving through Morecambe and Carnforth and onward towards Edinburgh or wider touring.

"Audiences would have more choice, local businesses would benefit from increased visitor movement and overnight stays, and existing cultural infrastructure would be strengthened rather than duplicated.

"I have no objection to Lancaster having more cultural activity. Quite the opposite. My concern is whether creating a parallel Fringe festival immediately before an established grassroots Fringe is the best use of scarce public resources and cultural infrastructure.

"Morecambe Bay Fringe has spent 10 years building audiences, developing practitioners, creating opportunities for first-time performers and establishing a year-round cultural ecology. It has been supported by Arts Council England, Morecambe Town Council, local businesses, volunteers, community venues and organisations including Morecambe Winter Gardens.

Matt Panesh outside the Morecambe Winter Gardens theatre

"I have little doubt that a Lancaster Fringe can succeed. With the combined capacity of Lancaster City Council and The Dukes, it has access to resources, communications infrastructure and organisational capacity that most grassroots organisations can only dream of.

"That is precisely why I find myself asking a simple question:

"What additional public value is created by establishing a parallel Fringe festival rather than strengthening and connecting to an existing one?

"Audiences, performers, volunteers, sponsors, advertisers, media attention and funding are all finite resources. A festival positioned immediately before an established grassroots Fringe inevitably risks creating competition for those resources, whether intended or not.

"If the intention is genuinely to complement rather than compete, then I would encourage serious consideration of how the two festivals can coexist in a way that strengthens the district's cultural ecology rather than fragmenting it.

"The real opportunity for Lancaster District is not more disconnected festivals. It is a connected cultural route that creates opportunities for artists, audiences and communities across the whole Bay."

The Lancaster Fringe Festival has been developed by a stakeholder group including Lancaster City Council, The Dukes, Lancaster BID and Lancaster Comedy Festival.

Beyond Radio put Mr Panesh's full statement to the organisers of the Lancaster Fringe Festival.

They said in response: "The Lancaster Fringe stakeholder group recognises and values the important role Morecambe Bay Fringe has played in supporting grassroots arts and developing audiences and talent across the district.

"Our intention with Lancaster Fringe is not to compete but to broaden the overall cultural offer, providing an additional platform for artists and attracting new audiences to the area. 

"As a new event, Lancaster Fringe will complement the existing events calendar by bringing additional activity and economic benefit into the district, helping to strengthen its profile as a vibrant cultural destination. 

"Our collective aim is a sustainable, inclusive cultural ecology that supports artists, audiences and local communities across the whole district."

The organising team of Lancaster Fringe Festival are inviting venues and operators across Lancaster to find out more about the festival at an information session on Thursday July 16 at The Storey in the city, from 11am to 1pm.

“Lancaster has a fantastic network of venues and creative spaces and this operator session is an important first step in bringing people together, sharing how the festival will work, and exploring how venues can play their part," said Councillor Martin Bottoms, cabinet member with responsibility for arts, culture and festivals on Lancaster City Council, as the Lancaster Fringe Festival was announced earlier this week.

"We’re keen to hear from operators, understand what they need, and work collaboratively to create a festival that reflects the character and creativity of our city.”

Chris Lawson, chief executive at The Dukes, said: “The launch of Lancaster Fringe Festival is a hugely exciting development for the city and its creative community.

The Dukes, Lancaster

"Fringe festivals are renowned for providing a platform where emerging talent can sit alongside established performers, creating a vibrant and accessible programme that appeals to a wide range of audiences.

“Lancaster already has a strong cultural offer and a wealth of creative talent, and this festival will provide a fantastic opportunity to showcase that on an even larger scale. We look forward to working with partners, venues and artists to create an event that celebrates the creativity, ambition and unique character of our city.”

Tony Johnson, Lancaster BID Manager, added: “Lancaster BID is excited to be involved in delivering this new festival, which will build on the success of events like Love Lancaster Live while expanding to incorporate all types of performing arts.

"It’s a great opportunity to drive footfall into the city centre and support our fantastic range of businesses.”

Mr Panesh, also known as 'Monkey Poet', is a writer, performer and festival director based in Morecambe, who has run a number of successful cultural events in the district including Morecambe Poetry Festival, the Morecambe Film and TV Festival, and the Morecambe Bay Fringe.

He also founded the West End Players performing arts centre on Yorkshire Street in Morecambe.

Morecambe Bay Fringe this summer, includes an appearance by stars of pioneering 80s comedy in 'The Young Ones: A Retrospective with Nigel Planer and Alexei Sayle'.

Nigel Planer

There will also be 10 shows created by local artists ranging from stand up to full theatrical performances as part of ‘Make Your Own Fringe Show’.

One such artist is Jo Jinty, who will be performing a show about her cancer diagnosis ‘If I Had A Magic Wand’, raising funds for Cancer Research UK.

The most famous Fringe festival in the UK is the annual Edinburgh Fringe, a celebration of arts and culture bringing together artists and performers from big names to unknowns across a range of venues.

Read more: New four-day Lancaster Fringe Festival announced - Beyond Radio

Young Ones stars set to appear at Morecambe Bay Fringe Festival - Beyond Radio