{"id":715646,"date":"2026-01-23T16:03:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T16:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/715646\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T16:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T16:03:12","slug":"arty-foodie-seaside-towns-hastings-and-st-leonards-are-officially-time-outs-best-places-to-visit-in-britain-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/715646\/","title":{"rendered":"Arty, Foodie Seaside Towns Hastings and St Leonards Are Officially Time Out\u2019s Best Places to Visit in Britain in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here at Time Out, we\u2019re all about championing all the brilliant places to see and things to right here in the UK.\u00a0Between them, our writers, editors and contributors have\u00a0ventured to practically every corner of the country, and in\u00a02026, thanks to new openings, unmissable cultural events or historic anniversaries, lots of our favourite places are going to be extra\u00a0worth a visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our number one\u00a0British destination this year\u00a0is the Scottish\u00a0city of Stirling<\/a>. But coming in a close second? The East Sussex sister towns of Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Time Out staff writer India Lawrence said: \u2018It\u2019s well known that Hastonians love a good knees-up, and every year the seaside town has a calendar packed full of cultural and community events: the incoming year has the usual festivals including Fat Tuesday, Jack and the Green and Pirate Day all on the books for 2026 already.\u2019<\/p>\n

Neighbouring St Leonards, meanwhile, is \u2018quickly becoming a trendy coastal epicentre to give Margate a run for its money\u2019.<\/p>\n

The walk between the two towns is an easy wander along the seafront. For a trip, we recommend basing yourself at the boutique Old Rectory<\/a> in Hastings Old Town. From there, spend the morning exploring\u00a0Hastings Contemporary<\/a>\u00a0art gallery, the fascinating Hastings Fisherman Museum and vintage treasure trove\u00a0Courthouse Cooperative.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then wander down to St Leonards in the afternoon to check out its stretch of cool indie shops like\u00a0Shop<\/a>,\u00a0Stereo Retro<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Sunless<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0secure some sustenance in the form of\u00a0fresh baked bagels at the\u00a0Sleeper Store<\/a>, a fish finger sando from hole-in-the-wall Goat Ledge or\u00a0Scandi-inspired coffee\u00a0from\u00a0Fika@44<\/a>. We recommend finishing the day with a glass (or three) from\u00a0Heist<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"St
\nPhotograph: Ella Doyle for Time Out <\/p>\n

This year is a particularly good time to venture to Hastings because it\u2019s the 960th anniversary of the infamous Battle of Hastings. A huge display\u00a0wargame<\/a>\u00a0is being\u00a0put together\u00a0for the occasion, which will\u00a0use thousands of miniature figures\u00a0to create a table top version of the face-off between the Normans and the Anglo-Danes.<\/p>\n

The anniversary also coincides with the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry\u00a0to Britain for the first time in 900 years<\/a>. While you\u2019ll have to go to the British Museum in London to see it, you\u2019ll be able to see\u00a0landmarks\u00a0depicted on the medieval masterpiece in real life in and around Hastings, including Hastings Castle. And 20 minutes from the town,\u00a0there\u2019ll be the big annual reenactment of the conflict at Battle Abbey (which is where the fight actually happened) in October.\u00a0<\/p>\n

See all of\u00a0our favourite things to do in Hastings and St Leonards here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Plus:\u00a0<\/strong>The best new things to do in the UK in 2026<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stay in the loop: sign up to our\u00a0free Time Out UK newsletter<\/a>\u00a0for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n