Whitby Goth Weekend is a twice-yearly music festival for the goth subculture, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, organised by Jo Hampshire. The event is an alternative music festival, consisting of two nights of live bands, and three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of alternative trade stalls at the Whitby Leisure Centre, and Whitby Brunswick Centre.
The term "Whitby Goth Weekend" is sometimes used as a generic term to describe events during the week in Whitby as a whole, although the name of the event and its associated logo are registered trademarks of Jo Hampshire of Top Mum Promotions.
History
thumb|right|Screaming Banshee Aircrew on stage at Whitby Goth Weekend, April 2005
thumb|right|Uninvited Guest on stage at Whitby Goth Weekend, October 2006
The origins of WGW are in a meeting of around forty of Hampshire's pen-pals in 1994. The first meeting was held in the Elsinore public house in Whitby along with the Little Angel, which continues to be a meeting point during the weekend. Hampshire said Whitby was chosen for its Dracula connections, although probably more so because the connection had already fostered a sense of acceptance on the part of locals and businesses rather than any inherent romanticism regarding the location.
Newbies who have not attended the event before are referred to as "Whitby Virgins". To help introduce them to the event, there was a WGW Virgins Meet Up on the Friday morning at the Spa until about 2014.
In 2016, concerns were raised by locals about disrespect being shown to the graves in St. Mary's Churchyard by photographers using them for photographic purposes which has resulted in a petition to have the area closed during the event. The proposal was supported by Whitby Goth Weekend, saying that "behaviour displayed in the churchyard is disrespectful and offensive". In 2016 The Bram Stoker Film Festival, which also took place in the town, rehashed a proposal to build a film set graveyard which photographers would be charged to use.
In June 2018 there was a breakdown in the relationship between WGW and SIV Live, who operate the Spa. WGW was therefore unable to book the Spa for bands for October 2018. In July a new promoter was found to put bands on at the Spa in October. Subsequently, WGW announced a different set of 2019 dates to those announced by the Spa and the new promoter, with bands at Abbey Wharf, a large pub in Whitby.
Economy
thumb|Visitors to Whitby in November 2016
The event results in business for the town in general, with attendees spending around 10,000 bed-nights in Whitby and the weekend contributing £1.1 million per annum to the local economy.
Location and events
The "weekend" starts during the day on Friday and fringe events are held on Thursday, Sunday and Monday including club nights, markets, and a charity football match between visiting goth team Real Gothic, and local team Stokoemotiv Whitby. During the October/November event there is an independent custom car show, 'Whitby Kustom' in the grounds of West Cliff School. There are also several "meet ups" aimed at goths with a particular interest, e.g. Gothic Lolita.
The main event was held in the town's largest venue, the Whitby Pavilion (known as the Spa) and the Bizarre Bazaar 'Goth Market' is also held there and at Whitby Leisure Centre and the Brunswick Centre.
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|2|| Whitby 2 ||
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|Saturday:<br /> Children On Stun*, Shadowmaker, Suspiria, The Horatii, Manuskript
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|3|| Whitby 3 ||
| The Marionettes*, Die Laughing, Midnight Configuration
| London After Midnight*, Corpus Delicti
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|4|| Whitby 4 ||
| Friday:<br />James Ray's Gangwar*, Dream Disciples, Libitina
| Saturday:<br />Stun*, The Merry Thoughts, Judith
| Sunday:<br />Emma Conquest, Robed In Desire, The Tortured, Violet Times
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|5|| Whitby 4.5 || 31 October –
| Inkubus Sukkubus*, Manuskript, Psycho TV
| Rosetta Stone*, The Horatii, Sunshine Blind
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|6|| Whitby 5 ||
| Die Laughing*, Nekromantik
| All Living Fear*, These Crimson Dreams, Isobels Shrine
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|7|| Whitby 5.5 ||
| Sunshine Blind*, Funhouse, Nervosa, Dream Disciples (at overspill venue), Passion Play (at overspill venue)
| Rosetta Stone*, Emma Conquest, Faithful Dawn, Sunshine Blind (at overspill venue), The Sisters Of Murphy (tribute act at overspill venue)
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|8|| Whitby 6 ||
| Switchblade Symphony*, The Last Dance, Denyze & Ed Alleyne-Johnson
| Manuskript*, This Burning Effigy, Star 80
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|9|| Whitby 6.5 ||
| Dream Disciples*, Manuskript, Passion Play, The Breath Of Life (band) (at overspill venue), Sneaky Bat Machine (at overspill venue)
| The Breath Of Life*, The Narcissus Pool, The Chaos Engine, Sneaky Bat Machine, Manuskript (at overspill venue), Dream Disciples (at overspill venue), The Chaos Engine (at overspill venue)
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|10|| Whitby 7 ||
| Mesh*, Saints of Eden, The Chaos Engine
| Sigue Sigue Sputnik*, VNV Nation, Putra-Chic
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|11|| Whitby 7.5 || || Clan of Xymox*, Screaming Dead, Mist Of Avalon
| Inkubus Sukkubus*, Emma Conquest
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|12|| Whitby 8 || || Dream Disciples*, Attrition, Adfinem
| Je$us Loves Amerika, The Last Days, Seize, The Faces Of Sarah
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|13 || Whitby 8.5 || || Andi Sex Gang*, Sorrow
| D.U.S.T., Finger Puppets, Swarf, Rome Burns, Cauda Pavonis
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|14|| WGW 9 ||
| Paradise Lost*, Manuskript, Passion Play, Je$us Loves Amerika
| Action Directe, Arkam Asylum, Little Match Girl, Synthetic
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|15|| WGW 9.5 ||
| Last Rites*, The Narcissus Pool, Swarf
| Beautiful Deadly Children, Ordinary Psycho, Season's End, Spermwhale
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|16|| WGW 10 ||
| Belisha, deadfilmstar, Scary Bitches, The Ghost Of Lemora, Torsohorse
| Red Lorry Yellow Lorry*, Spares, Synthetic, Psychophile
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|17|| WGW X || 30 October –
| Thursday:<br />Inkubus Sukkubus*, Faith and the Muse, DeathBoy
| Friday:<br />Wayne Hussey*, The Chaos Engine, All Living Fear
| Saturday:<br />Icon of Coil*, Sheep on Drugs, Goteki
| Sunday:<br />All About Eve*, Manuskript, Rose McDowall
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|18|| WGW 11 ||
| The Damned*, Earth Loop Recall, Zombina and the Skeletones
| The Mission*, Dream Disciples, Libitina ||
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|19|| WGW 11.5 ||
| Manuskript*, The Last Dance, Corrosion, Faetal
| Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction*, Claytown Troupe, Beautiful Deadly Children, Torsohorse
| Alien Sex Fiend*, Glass, Ovni
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|20|| WGW 12 ||
| Gene Loves Jezebel*, Voltaire, Psychophile, Screaming Banshee Aircrew
| In the Nursery*, QueenAdreena, Devilish Presley, Greenhaus
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|21|| WGW 12.5 ||
| Doctor and the Medics*, NFD, DeathBoy, Katscan
| Rico*, Mechanical Cabaret, The Modern, Neon Zoo
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|22|| WGW 13 ||
| Manuskript*, Swarf, Misty Woods & GDM, History Of Guns
| The Breath Of Life*, Frankenstein, Zombina and the Skeletones, Spares
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|23|| WGW 13.5 ||
| The Damned*, Vampire Beach Babes, Trauma Pet, Xykogen
| XPQ-21*, Katzenjammer Kabarett, Inertia, Uninvited Guest
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|24|| WGW 14 ||
| The Last Dance*, Sohodolls, D.U.S.T., RazorBladeKisses
| The Crüxshadows*, Bella Morte, Machine Gun Symphony, Rome Burns
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|25|| WGW 14.5 ||
| The Cassandra Complex*, Crud, Ghost of Lemora, Voices of Masada
| The Birthday Massacre*, Sins of the Flesh, All Living Fear, Pro-jekt
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|26|| WGW 15 ||
| Star Industry*, Skeletal Family, Cauda Pavonis, Dyonisis
| Clan of Xymox*, Mercurine, Screaming Banshee Aircrew, Snuff Radio
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|27|| WGW 15.5 || 31 October – || Specimen*, Christian Death, Rezurex
| Wayne Hussey*, Voltaire, The Beauty of Gemina
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|28|| WGW 16 || || Abney Park*, The Last Dance, Zeitgeist Zero || Diary of Dreams*, The House of Usher, RazorBladeKisses
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|29|| WGW 16.5 || 30 October – || The Eden House*, Zombina and the Skeletones, Grooving In Green
| Faith and The Muse*, Adoration, Rhombus
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|30|| WGW 17 ||
| Justin Sullivan*, Deviant UK, In Isolation
| Anne-Marie Hurst*, Pretentious Moi?, Vendemmian
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|31|| WGW 17.5 ||
| Wayne Hussey (with special guests Simon Hinkler, Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls)*, Autumn Cannibals, The Last Cry
| Manuskript*, The Stripper Project, Pro-jekt
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|32|| WGW 18 ||
| Red Lorry Yellow Lorry*, Fuzzbox, Dr Arthur Krause, Black Moth, Dutch Order
| The Damned*, Frankenstein, The Beauty Of Gemina, Luxury Stranger, Pink Hearse
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|33|| WGW 18.5 ||
| Abney Park*, The Mist of Avalon, Devilish Presley, Cryogenica, Berlin Black
| Chameleons vox*, Voltaire, Rhombus, The Dark Shadows, The Death Notes
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|34|| WGW 19 ||
| In The Nursery*, Ugly Buggs, The Spiritual Bat, Last July
| Gene Loves Jezebel*, Die Laughing, The Bellwether Syndicate, Red Sun Revival, Dead Eyes Opened
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|35|| WGW 19.5 ||
| Mesh*, Fangs On Fur, Inertia, Dutch Order, Last July
| Alien Sex Fiend*, Blitzkid, All Living Fear, The Last Cry, Bad Pollyanna
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|36|| WGW 20 ||
| Voltaire*, Doctor and the Medics, Zombina and the Skeletones, Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons
| Clan Of Xymox*, Skeletal Family, The Danse Society, Deviant UK, William Control
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|37|| WGW 20.5 ||
| William Control*, Fearless Vampire Killers, Ashestoangels, Bad Pollyanna
| Diary Of Dreams*, Bella Morte, Rabia Sorda, Method Cell
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|38|| WGW 21 ||
| Toyah*, Vince Ray & The Boneshakers, Cold In Berlin, Alexa De Strange
| New Model Army*, The Last Cry, UK Decay, Jordan Reyne
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|39|| WGW 21.5 || 31 October –
| Heaven 17*, Visage, Deviant UK, Black Volition
| Voltaire*, Hugh Cornwell, Rhombus, Bad Pollyanna, Lesbian Bed Death
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|40|| WGW 22 ||
| Thursday:<br />The Birthday Massacre*, Abney Park*, The Red Paintings, Ashestoangels
| Friday:<br />The Crüxshadows*, Bella Morte*, Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic, The Last Dance
| Saturday:<br />Sex Gang Children*, Andi Sex Gang*, The Chameleons Vox*, Manuskript, Jordan Reyne
| Sunday:<br />The Damned*, William Control*, Doctor And The Medics, Pussycat And The Dirty Johnsons
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|41|| WGW 22.5 || 30 October –
| Altered Images*, Fearless Vampire Killers, Bad Pollyanna, Chasing Dragons
| Spear of Destiny*, The Last Cry, Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show, In Isolation
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|42|| WGW 23 ||
| Therapy?*, The Red Paintings, Lene Lovich, Hands Off Gretel
| Wayne Hussey*, Fuzzbox, Rhombus, She Made Me Do It
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|43|| WGW 23.5 ||
| Heaven 17*, Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic, Manuskript, Kitty in a Casket
| The Mission*, Skeletal Family, Children On Stun, Chasing Dragons
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|44|| WGW 24 ||
| Toyah*, Bad Pollyanna, Deviant UK, Healthy Junkies
| Aurelio Voltaire, The Last Cry, Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronica, 1919