Things To Do In Folkestone

Last updated July 2025 (though always a work in progress!).

Folkestone triennial 2025

I moved from East London to Folkestone in July 2016, so have lived down here for a while now.

There is so much more than what is included below and I’m working on a bigger project behind the scenes to pull together something comprehensive - this should launch later in the year if I get my act into gear.

There are also plenty of great insta accounts with listings, hints and tips which I list further down this page (including my own listings @thingstodoinfolkestone).

The @thingstodoinfolkestone insta also shares events in the stories on a daily basis so is a good source of info for things coming up over the next few days/weeks. I share stories on this most days (correct as at July 2025).

[Events Calendars: update July 2025

I had a calendar of local events here. I’ve temporarily taken this down in 2025 as haven’t had chance to keep it updated but am working on a solution]

Key tip: check opening hours. A lot of places don’t open on Monday and/or Tuesday, especially out of season. It’s a little bit chicken and egg, because the more people who visit Mondays and Tuesdays, the more businesses will be able to be open those days. But be aware of this.

Where To Eat And Drink In Folkestone

Petticoat lane emporium Folkestone

  • Coffee: In my view the best coffee is at Yoke on Guildhall Street. They also do fab lunch options. Steep Street on the Old High Street (OHS) is also very good, as is Harbour Coffee and Sailbox. I also like the coffee from Folklore on the OHS, or Gourmet Kitchen if closer to the Leas.. Mugs just by the Tram road car park at the bottom of the Old High Street is popular. The Lift Cafe is another local fave near the shingle beach/Leas coastal park. In June 2025, Petticoat Lane Emporium also opened on Sandgate road in the former Wilko’s, and has a fab cafe inside with good sandwich options and well spaced tables.

  • Fish and Chips: I love Sandy’s down by the harbour (next to Rocksalt). Papa’s on Sandgate Road is also pretty good.

  • Best food in general: Marley’s on the Old High Street is fantastic, with local, seasonal food. Pomus has just opened in July 2025 on Tontine street and is already proving very popular. Little Rock on the beach is also a firm favourite. John Dory Wine in Sandgate has also just appeared in the Good Food Guide in July 2025.

  • Brunch: If like me you love avo on toast/eggs/eggs benedict etc, then my vote is for the Sailbox on the Harbour Arm - their views are hard to beat, as they are located in the big yellow shipping container on the Harbour Arm, next to sister company Harbour Coffee. They’ve also recently expanded their afternoon food offering - the cod bites are delicious. Sunshine cafe is also good. Brew also does a tasty avocado on toast with smoked salmon or sausage. If you’re looking for more of a brunch experience, the excellent Dita Garbo has hosts drag brunches at via Punk & Plume. Rocksalt’s wine bar and garden has also started offering breakfast from July 2025.

  • Easy meals where there is likely to be something most people enjoy: Brewing brothers (pizza), Luben (pizza), The Harbour Inn (pub by the harbour) or the Pullman (gastropub), which has a good sized beer garden that is great in the summer. These places also tend to be open all/most days. There are also a number of food huts etc along the harbour arm (eg burritos, chips, a greek bus etc). Lucky Chip does some incredible burgers. We also have the new Sip at the Signal Box in the old signal box on the harbour arm. The Blind Pig on tontine street does great pizzas, and the burgers at Blackmarket on tontine street are legendary. Burrito Buoy just a few doors down does an incredible pulled pork burrito (which is pretty huge).

  • Sandwiches/subs/light lunch: The Little Place Next Door also has some good sandwich, baguette and wrap lunch options as well as hot food. The Tea Rooms on Sandgate Road is another popular spot for a lighter lunch, and also offers great afternoon teas and party events.

  • Japanese/sushi - Kazoku has recently (summer 2023) opened on The Leas, and I am a big fan. Their katsu curry is delicious. The portion sizes seem to be very good. The atmosphere is chilled and the staff were very friendly. The cocktails I tried were delicious (but a little small). JB Sushi on Sandgate Road is also very tasty and well priced.

  • Sunday roast - try The Pullman, or The Bouverie Tap.

  • Going posh: try Rocksalt for food, Pomus, or the lighthouse champagne bar at the end of the harbour arm.

  • Vegan: there is plenty on offer for vegans in Folkestone. Most of the above have good vegan options.

  • Ice Cream: Massimo’s at 14 Cheriton Place is excellent (and ideal if you’ve walked into the town centre from the station). On the Harbour Arm, The Dessert Folkes have a range of delicious treats.

  • For more tips on food, I recommend this post on Folke.Life (it is from 2021 though and not all places mentioned are still operating).

  • Drinks: if you’re sitting outside and the sun is shining I highly recommend Pilot bar on the beach by the Harbour Arm. They also host djs there too at the weekend. If you love an aperol spritz as much as I do, it’s good to know that Pilot bar has it ready mixed on tap! Gaia on the harbour arm does delicious cocktails, with an excellent view as well as selling coffee and homewares such as their own incredible candles and wax melts. Or sit in The Goods Yard on the Arm and get yourself a drink or some food from one of the many food huts. Brewing Brothers has a fab outside space and is next to Pilot Bar. TPS (The Potting Shed) has a lovely bodega with a very good orange wine, and has a hidden speakeasy at the back. Beer Shop is a hugely popular spot, which sells, as the name would suggest, beer, but also does a lovely wine spritzer (as well as regular mid-week events). Docker brewery’s space in Park Farm is a recent addition, and also hosts events such as Folkestone Flea and guest food slots. Blackmarket is a popular neon-lit dive bar on Tontine Street. The Old Cigar and Olive is a relatively recent addition to the town and is popular, with live music acts also regularly performing.

  • Another favourite of mine is the Balcony cocktail bar at the Leas Cliff Hall, with incredible views looking out to sea.

  • Indoors, I suggest the Radnor Arms (which does also have a good outside area). The Old Buoy on Tontine Street is also definitely worth a visit (excellent croque monsieur too) and often has live DJ sets at night (it gets very busy). Rosemont is relatively new and popular if you’re looking for a cocktail. In the Creative Quarter, Space bar is popular (with a good outside space and pizzas too), or Folklore.

Other Things To Do In Folkestone

REVISED EVENTS CALENDER/LISTS COMING LATE JULY/EARLY AUG 2025

Recommendations:

  • Shopping: Visit the creative quarter with its shops and galleries clustered around The Old High Street. Most are open Weds-Sun (but do check to avoid disappointment). You may find a lot are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays at the moment. Faves include children’s shop Moo Like A Monkey, Folkestone Art Gallery, Bounce Vintage, Ben’s Vintage (now named Overstrand), Dandy Vintage, Objectables cards and gifts, Native Three (Etsy shop), R&R (Perspex jewellery in an incredible range of designs and made in Folkestone) and Rennie’s. Fabia H Goff is an award winning local artist and designer who stocks a beautiful range of her own artworks and textiles on the Old High Street. On Sandgate Road you’ll find the excellent Grace, an interiors shop with beautifully upcycled pieces. Gaia on the harbour arm has lovely candles, whilst Restock is great for zero waste and for refills.

  • As mentioned above, the excellent Petticoat Lane Emporium has opened in June 2025 on Sandgate road and is a treasure trove of vintage and pre loved items, as well as work by local creatives.

  • Folkestone Flea is a new pop up event for 2025 and is well worth checking out. Tide Vintage pop-ups are also great for a mooch, with a fabulously curated selection.

    Visit Folkestone Marketplace on the Harbour Arm (weekends and bank holidays) - full of locally produced arts, crafts etc and small businesses during the spring and summer season.

    The last Saturday of the month also brings the fab Under The Moon Art Market.

    Please note, The Old High Street in the Creative Quarter is a steep and narrow cobbled street full of independent small businesses. Sandgate Road is the name of the traditional ‘high street’ with typical high street chains such as Boots, Waterstones, WHSmith etc and there are also several smaller businesses and cafes that are definitely worth a visit here too.

  • Art galleries : Folkestone’s Creative Quarter has a number of galleries, as well as lots of artist studios in the flats and premises above the retail units. Definitely check out Fourth Wall and Kollectiv. Another personal favourite of mine is Whelk Boy. During busier periods some premises along the street are used for pop up exhibitions. It’s also worth visiting The Stables on Tontine Street (particularly to see the work of the excellent Robyn Neild). After Art at the top of the Old High Street has a selection of fine art too.

    The annual Open Quarter event also sees many of the local artists and creatives open their studios to the public for a week or so and is worth checking out.

    Folkestone has the largest urban outdoor collection of contemporary art in the U.K. The Folkestone Triennial is a big art festival which is held every three years - the next one is Folkestone Triennial 2025 launching 18 July 2025. As well as new exhibits for each triennial, there are many permanent artworks around town from the past events, meaning you can visit the public artworks all around Folkestone from our previous art triennials even if it’s not a triennial year. Each Triennial runs for a few months and the town gets busy during these times.

  • Open Art Folke (Folkestone’s first artist led festival) and Folkestone Fringe - both running alongside the 2025 Triennial and likely to be excellent- more information on their instagram pages.

  • Film & televised sport: Watch the big screen on the Harbour Arm. The Silver Screen cinema is a lovely independent cinema in the town centre. Check out Folkestone Doc Club and Folkestone Doc Fest for some fantastic documentaries.

  • Sea sports: Folkestone Sea Sports offers paddle boarding and kayak hire and lessons during the late spring and summer months. More info to come….

  • Health and wellness: there are a number of sound baths in Folkestone. Check out Sound Sanctuary for some excellent locations, and Ecstatic Dance events.

  • Charivari - a fabulous community procession through town in July, with costumes and giant structures and marching bands. Organised by Strange Cargo art.

  • Folkestone Pride Festival - Folkestone’s fabulous annual town-wide Pride festival and parade celebrating and supporting diversity, inclusivity and the local queer community.

  • Wuthering Heights Day/Kate Bush day - Folkestone: this is an annual event in July which has grown massively in the past few years. This brilliant event sees thousands of people dress in red dresses and dance to Wuthering Heights on the Harbour Arm. I massively recommend this, but do be aware it gets very busy especially the first slot. If you’re wondering why there are lots of people in red dresses on a Sunday in Folkestone in July, this is the reason. It is an absolutely joyful event, and was covered by the BBC in 2024.

  • Other: catch a show or event at The Leas Cliff Hall, at The Quarterhouse, or at the Tower Theatre, or go to the fabulous old school style Silver Screen cinema in the town centre, where tickets are just £6 or so. The Boardroom (next to Sailbox) has shuffleboard and darts and is located right next to the sea and so has brilliant views.

The Lower Leas coastal park is a gorgeous place running alongside the beach for a walk or picnic plus has a fab adventure playground for kids. You can access it near Mermaid beach (there are plenty of entry points). Walk down the zigzag path (a gorgeous, albeit steep, walk on a sunny summer’s day - it can feel like being on holiday in the Med sometimes) if you’re wanting to access the leas coastal park from the leas promenade.

The Leas Promenade is basically the big path along the top of the cliffs (you’ll often find live music at the bandstand during the summer), whilst the Leas Coastal Park runs below it, nearer sea level. There are toilets near the children’s play area. There is a great little cafe in a shipping container named the Lift Cafe on the eastern side entrance to the Leas Coastal Park (just opposite the new flats on the beach - you can’t miss them)

In August 2023, HatsHats Coffee arrived in the Leas Coastal Park with a small cabin (takeaway only) selling drinks and some light snacks. They are right next to the amphitheatre, at the bottom of the zigzag path. Bonus that they also have a few public toilets.

  • Walk around the West End and view the gorgeous architecture (around the Leas promenade, Clifton Crescent, Earl’s Avenue etc).

Pop down to Sandgate

Sandgate is a lovely village on the west edge of Folkestone (not as far away as that might make it sound), essentially further along the beach. It’s an easy walk or cycle for those who are mobile, or via a short drive.

There are some fab cafes, restaurants and shops. I’ll post some recommendations here soon but for now will mention Loaf cafe, Orchard Lane Coffee House, John Dory wine and The Little Fish Shop. Docker (suppliers of delicious bread around Folkestone) have also just opened a new pub/bar in summer 2023 - I particularly recommend the apple vodka and apple juice on ice combo they have in massive gin glasses . It is always full of people standing outside whenever I’ve gone past so looks like it’s been a big hit already.

Things for Kids to do in Folkestone

We have a fab adventure playground in the coastal park, and there is also a decent children’s play area in Radnor Park, very close to Folkestone Central train station. If you venture to the opposite side of Radnor Park you’ll find a large duck pond. Folkestone’s sports centre has closed down but there are plans to reopen it. There is also the Silver Screen Cinema on Guildhall Street.

  • F51 is our new, huge, indoor skatepark. It also has a climbing wall and coffee shop.

  • Kidz Planet on the outskirts of town has a variety of age segregated activities.

  • Beatbox Baby Rave events are held at St John’s Church on St John’s Church Road.

  • Hang out on the beach! We have a small Sandy beach - Sunny Sands - and plenty of shingle beach running down to Sandgate and Hythe. Mermaid Beach is one of our pebble beaches which is popular.

  • Pop to The Warren country park - there are some more secluded beaches here also.

  • @folkestonemummy creates an incredibly detailed list of things going on for families and kids

Practical info

  • Dogs: Folkestone is very dog friendly - I’ll soon include a separate post on recommended places to visit with your pooch. Re beaches and dogs, in short from 1 May - 30 Sept they are not allowed on sunny sands or mermaid beach but may be allowed on others. Check the Folkestone and Hythe council website here for info on dogs/permitted beaches. We also have a lovely pet products shop called Not For Humans, located on the Old High Street.

  • Public toilets - by The Leas Cliff Hall on the Leas Promenade; along the Harbour Arm (just off the old train platforms near Pilot Bar, also by The Goods Yard, and then a third set further down the Arm); on Radnor Park near the kids’ play area; in the Leas Coastal Park near Mermaid Cafe, next to Hathats coffee at the amphitheatre in the coastal park.

  • Cash machines - there are very few ATMs around the Creative Quarter and Harbour areas. You are probably best to get cash before heading down the Old High Street. There are a number of ATMs at the banks on Sandgate Road, or by Tesco on Bouverie Road West (near Castle Hill Avenue), or Tesco on Foord Road. There is also an ATM in Wilko. There is an ATM by JJ’s taxis on Tontine Street though it charges a fee.

Other really useful sources of information about the town

Rosie aka Coolasfolke is the go-to insta account for details and recommendations, especially re food and drink happenings in the town. Rosie also hosts her own Soft Play nights, which are great for meeting new people and having a lot of daft fun.

Folkestone Foghorn is a print and digital magazine which includes features on the town, new businesses and also includes plenty of listings. You can also usually find printed copies in Steep Street, Bounce Vintage, Yoke and The Quarterhouse.

  • Instagram/other accounts:

    • @thingstodoinfolkestone, with colour coded categories and highlights categories making is easier to navigate. Still a work in progress (there are at least another 70 venues, groups and items that I have photographed but still need to add)

    • @folkestonedispatch

    • @tonyquarrington

    • @coolasfolke

    • @folkelife

    • @folkestonemummy

    • @folkestoneforghorn

    • @folkestone_foodies

    • @folkestoneisbeautiful

    • @experiencefolkestone

    • @folkestone_all_things

    • @shopindependentfolkestone

    • @folkestonefoodreviews

    • @folkestonefollow

  • To get an up to date view on things going on, you’ll find that both Steep Street coffee house and Bounce Vintage tend to have plenty of flyers advertising local events.

  • Creative Folkestone’s website includes listings of events at the Quarterhouse and Digital:Glassworks.

  • Live music events are listed on the Folkestone gig guide website from folkestonemusic.co.uk

  • Folkestone and Hythe council also publish an events listing

  • The Harbour Arm is one of our focal points for things to do and is essentially a big concrete pier, lined with restaurants and food stalls, and often hosts plenty of live music in the summer.

  • Every last Friday of the month is Last Fridays, featuring performances, exhibitions and music across the Creative Quarter.


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DISCLOSURES: All views are my own. I have not received any remuneration, benefits, free stuff etc in exchange for this post (or any post I make) from any party mentioned here or any other party .