Southend-on-Sea will host City Day celebrations on Saturday 1st March 2025 and want the local community and businesses to get involved.
The announcement follows hot on the heels of the incredible City Jam which attracted over 200 renowned artists from across the world and the launch of the city vision survey.
Cllr Daniel Cowan, leader of the council, says: "Building more pride and having more events in our city is a priority for this administration. Southend-on-Sea is a fantastic place, and City Day 2025 will be a real celebration packed with community events and civic pride taking place on the anniversary of being granted city status and across that weekend.
"We want the whole City to feel involved and get involved too.
"Whilst there is more planning to do and a detailed programme to work up, we are looking for there to be four main events across the city that will celebrate our local community and voluntary groups and our thriving artistic and cultural scene and local heritage. We hope this will all be supported by smaller events run by residents, businesses and other community and volunteer groups.
"We are announcing this now so people can start to plan, have a think about what they might want to do on and around 1 March 2025, and help us build a programme of activity for the whole city to enjoy.
"We will be sharing more details shortly about how people can contact us with their ideas and get involved in City Day 2025."
It is hoped the 2025 event will mark the start of annual celebrations held around the date of the anniversary of our city status.
Tara Poore, chair of the Southend City Partnership, says: "We live in a great city and have so much to be proud of, and so it is great news that March 2025 will see the community and organisations working together to celebrate all things Southend-on-Sea. "I look forward to seeing more details released in the coming weeks and working with my colleagues on the city partnership and beyond to make it a series of events to remember."
1 March 2025 will mark three years since our now King, Charles III and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, bestowed the letters patent on Southend-on-Sea and officially turned our Borough into a City.
The decision to make Southend a City was made by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in memory of Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West who was tragically murdered whilst serving his local community in October 2021. Sir David fought passionately for City status to be awarded.