Eastbourne gears up for the 2023 Steampunk Festival

On September 2 and 3, Eastbourne will be celebrating all things steampunk.

Spanning from the Wishtower slopes to the Bandstand, this event aims to astound, dazzle, entertain and delight visitors of all ages. The evening of the Saturday will also host an adult only night’s entertainment; a masked ball venue at The Fishermens, featuring music, dancing, burlesque and much more.

Steampunk is a genre of science fiction inspired by Victorian-era industrialisation. Author KW Jeter came up with the term 'steampunk' in 1987 to describe a style of fantasy fiction that featured Victorian technology, specifically technology powered by steam.

Steampunk comes in many different styles; for some it’s all top hats, tailcoats, goggles and gears; for others it’s pith helmets, khaki jackets, moustaches and steam powered blunderbusses; for others still it’s lab coats, gadgets, magnifying glasses and mad inventions.Steampunk has been incorporated into movies, music, literature and art, even the gaming world.