Whitby: Pictures of Goth Weekend April 2024 as event returns

Wet weather failed to stop hundreds of people from heading to Whitby for the town’s Goth festival.

Stunning photographs taken by Press Camera Club members Garry Hornby and Simon McCabe show visitors wearing dark period dress during the event.

Goths smile for the camera during the festival in Whitby (Image: Simon McCabe)

The festival started on Friday and comes to a close on Sunday (April 28).

Attendees walked the town’s cobbled lanes and seafront promenade, which featured in Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece Dracula.

Attendees walked Whitby's cobbled lanes and seafront promenade, which featured in Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece Dracula (Image: Simon McCabe)

They sampled live music and visited an alternative market with over 100 different stalls.

Goths were also seen relaxing in their signature getups in the town’s cafes and pubs, where Stoker sourced ideas for his vampire book.

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Stoker visited the harbour town in 1890 - and viewed the ruined monasteries and graveyards as the perfect setting to feature his blood-sucking vampire.

The event was first hosted by Jo Hampshire, when she invited 40 of her pen pals to The Elsinore Inn, close to the centre of the idyllic town.

Rain didn't stop hundreds of Goths from heading to Whitby (Image: Garry Hornby)

Now, it attracts guests from all over as a celebration of gothic culture.

The weekender was founded in 1994 and is now one of the most famous gothic events in the world. Its next instalment is in November.