The first Hazy Days festival took place at Weston-super-Mare’s Tropicana at the weekend, filling the seafront venue with music and art.

Weston Mercury: Festival goers enjoying the music.Festival goers enjoying the music. (Image: Archant)

The free event gave people from all over Weston the chance to look around the Tropicana for the first time since Banksy’s ‘bemusement park’ Dismaland last year.

More than 60 local and international performers took to four stages from Friday to Sunday, with Weston groups The Lipinskis and The Leylines headlining.

To pay tribute to Banksy, whose 2015 exhibition has injected new life into the former pool, artists from all over the world were invited to showcase their work and sculpted and painted during the weekend.

North Somerset Council’s chairman John Crockford-Hawley was invited to speak at the event in-between the music.

He said: “Such was the infectious enthusiasm, good humour and receptive warmth of the hundreds of young, and a fair few not so young, people that far from merely arriving, saying those obligatory words, chatting to organisers and then departing I remained on station for nearly six hours – and thoroughly enjoyed it.

“Far from creating a barrier, the wearing of an official chain of office induced delightful conversation and the many young people with whom I spoke were of one mind: the Tropicana is a magical venue with immense potential for creative minds.

“The irony is writ large; political procrastination has worked. Banksy turned dereliction into a world stage and the act continues.”

Cllr Crockford-Hawley also paid tribute to the organisers, volunteers, musicians and artists for their hard work.

Organiser Mark Whitehouse said: “A massive thank you to every single one of you for being there at the beginning, whatever part you took in the festival.

“That was one of the toughest but most enjoyable things I have ever undertaken.”

The not-for-profit event raised money for the Children’s Hospice South West and Birnbeck Regeneration Trust.

Richie Griffin, project director for the regeneration trust, said: “It was absolutely phenomenal.

“Mark and the team deserve every bit of credit for doing something good for Weston.

“We were so pleased and it was such a professionally-organised event.”

Cllr Crockford-Hawley added: “I shall do my utmost to ensure council colleagues are fully appraised of this youthful cultural verve with which Weston’s ‘ever forward’ motto is being re-interpreted.”