There’s a packed month of entertainment at the Yorkshire coast to launch the summer season, says Janet Deacon

Some of the biggest names in show business are lined up for the new season at Scarborough Open Air Theatre including Jessie J (June 25th) and McBusted – that’s a hybrid of McFly and Busted, in case you didn’t know – (June 27th). On Armed Forces Day (June 28th) there’s a spectacular Last Night of the Proms concert hosted by Aled Jones and starring the harmonious voices of the Military Wives Choir York, one of Britain’s most exciting young mezzo sopranos Laura Wright and Welsh male choral group Only Men Aloud, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra.

The Open Air Theatre is also the venue for one of the biggest events of the Yorkshire Festival, the 100 days of art and culture leading up to the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in the county. The Really Big Sing (June 24th) will see a choir of 6,000 school children perform songs on the theme of wheels, and a newly composed festival song.

The Stephen Joseph Theatre has a series of one-off events alongside its main house production of The Last Train to Scarborough (ends June 14th). The acappella singers Henwen, from Robin Hood’s Bay, bring music and poetry from The Bay & Beyond (June 19th).The next day local favourite Tom Townsend takes to the stage with some brand new songs followed by Grammy-nominated jazz singer Stacey Kent (June 21st).

Scarborough Spa launches its own summer season this month, with afternoon music from the King of the Keyboard Howard Beaumont in the Suncourt (June 2nd to September 10th); comic Joey Howard topping the bill of the Summer Spectacular at the Victorian Spa Theatre (June 2nd - September 17th) and the last remaining professional seaside orchestra, Scarborough Spa Orchestra, plays evening concerts each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday in the Grand Hall, and morning concerts Sundays to Thursdays in the Suncourt (June 5th - September 11th).

There’s more action at the town’s Oliver’s Mount this month, with the Barry Sheene Road Race Festival (June 21st and 22nd). One of the few remaining village fairs in the north, Scalby Fair, takes place in the picturesque village on the northern outskirts of Scarborough (June 15th - 21st ). There’s a must-see for generations of children too – the naval battle in Peasholm Park (June 28th until the end of August). Dating back to the late 1920s, model battleships and planes recreate the Battle of the River Plate on the calm waters of the park lake.

Travel back to the 1970s and 1960s at Whitby Pavilion with a production of Mike Leigh’s classic play Abigail’s Party (June 5th ) as well as music from The Searchers, Amen Corner, Wayne Fontana and The Tremeloes (June 6th - 8th ).

At the same venue, rock ‘n’ rollers Showaddywaddy and the Bay City Rollers bring back Solid Gold 70s (June 14th). The Flipside Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend (June 20th and 21st) is also hosted there. For keen fishermen, there’s Whitby Angling Festival (June 21st to July 13th).

The touring production of Abigail’s Party, by Just Happy to be Here Theatre Productions, moves to the Evron Centre, Filey (June 6th) where a week later you can enjoy the Eat Yorkshire Food Festival @Filey (June 14th and 15th) with its fabulous food demonstrations using local produce, plus a range of stalls from local and specialist food and drink retailers and producers. And at the end of the month, the town presents its annual town festival – a week of arts, culture and heritage including a two-day craft market, a Party in the Park funday, a Last Night of the Proms concert, and lots of participation from local schools (June 28th - July 6th).

The Yorkshire Festival lands in Ravenscar (June 21st) with the Tour de Cinema – films about cycling in unusual locations – at the Raven Hall Hotel.

And finally, don’t miss North Yorkshire Open Studios; two weekends (June 7th and 8th, and 14th and 15th) when artists across the county throw open their doors and reveal the secrets of their trade to visitors. Visit studios at the coast in Filey, Lebberston, Ravenscar, Staithes and Scarborough.

Janet Deacon is North Yorkshire area director at Welcome to Yorkshire

Website contacts

yorkshire.com

scarboroughopenairtheatre.com

festival.yorkshire.com

sjt.uk.com

scarboroughspa.co.uk

auto66.com

whitbypavilion.co.uk

nyos.org.uk