Hastings Pier will begin a phased reopening to the public on Wednesday 27th April following two years renovation works at a cost of £14.2m.
Closed for safety reasons in 2008 and virtually destroyed by the fire of October 2010 a local action group raised the funds to rebuild the 140 year-old structure, the lion’s share from an £11.4m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The pier opens initially with a full service bar and restaurant in the newly renovated Pavilion building plus a traditional funfair. The café and roof terrace in the new The Deck at Hastings Pier building will open over the next few days.
A short season of open air film screenings continues the opening, starting on Thursday 12th May with Re: A Pier the story of the renovation of Hastings Pier told by local film-maker, Archie Lauchlan followed by Jaws on the Friday and what is thought to be the first ever outdoor screening of Star Wars – the Force Awakens on Saturday 14th. May.
Work will continue on the digital archive of the pier’s history including oral memories and memorabilia to be digitally available from the Lower Deck archive room once the computer systems have been installed and tested. The archive will also be online once all systems are in place.
The pier will be fully open for the planned gala celebration of the completion of the works on Saturday 21st May when Madness will headline a day of exploring the musical heritage of the pier following a formal opening ceremony that morning.