Seafront motorcycle rally to return after hiatus

An event that brings thousands of motorcyclists to a seafront has been resurrected after a three-year break.

Southend Shakedown has not been held since 2022 due to funding concerns and "threats of violence" against the organisers.

However, a £100,000 cash boost in Southend-on-Sea City Council's budget has funded the rally's return on Easter Monday.

Joan Tiney from the Seafront Traders' Association said it was "smashing" news for coastal businesses.

The Shakedown, first held in 1998, attracts motorcyclists from across the country to cruise along Western Esplanade in front of large crowds.

Its return on 21 April was announced during the Labour-led council's budget meeting on Thursday.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Daniel Cowan said: "Shakedown will come back and be supported."

Cowan said he was boosting the council's events budget in order to "make Southend a destination that its seven million annual visitors want to return to time and again".

Ms Tiney told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the news "made my day".

She added: "Apart from Halloween night, it's the best event we have now that we haven't got the airshow. It's very, very good news, smashing."

Hundreds of bikers staged an unofficial rally on the seafront in 2024 in protest against the event's cancellation.

Despite initial concerns, police praised the majority of attendees for being "law-abiding".

During its budget meeting, the council said the £100,000 stimulus would fund the City Jam festival "for the next two years".

The authority said it would also welcome classic car displays back to the seafront.

Matt Dent, councillor for culture, tourism and business, said he was "proud" of the budget.

"We should be holding a range of exciting events, drawing visitors to make the most of seafronts and parks and all the hidden gems," he said.

A further £185,000 would be spent on several civic events, Dent added, including celebrations remembering when Southend became a city in March 2022.

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