Seaside Dances Tour: UK’s Leading Pop-Up Orchestra Tours Lincolnshire in July 2025
Street Orchestra Live Brought Seaside Spirit to Lincolnshire This July
From 16–19 July 2025, Street Orchestra Live toured Lincolnshire with a vibrant programme inspired by the golden age of seaside concerts and tea dances. Thanks to generous support from Arts Council England and the National Lottery Fund, this dynamic orchestra of young professional musicians brought the joyful sounds of the 1920s to 1940s to communities across the county.
The tour visited:
- Lincoln (16 July)
- Boston & Woodhall Spa (17 July)
- Grimsby (18 July)
- Sutton-on-Sea & Skegness (19 July)
With a mission to bring music to everyone, everywhere, the orchestra performed in several under-served areas, uplifting audiences with toe-tapping classics like Puttin’ on the Ritz, It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), and beloved waltzes by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Strauss.
In partnership with Lincolnshire Music Service, the orchestra also performed in school playgrounds, giving children a chance to experience the thrill of live orchestral music. Jennifer McKie, Head of Service, shared her excitement:
“We were incredibly excited to bring Street Orchestra to our Lincolnshire schools. We hoped this experience would inspire even more children to pick up an instrument and give it a go.”
A highlight of the tour was a special concert in Grimsby on 18 July, created in collaboration with leading adult disability charity Foresight. This “Last Night of the Proms”-style event featured Foresight’s choir performing alongside the orchestra in a heartwarming celebration of musical friendship and inclusion.
Chloe Rooke, Artistic Director of Street Orchestra Live, said:
“We were so excited to visit Lincolnshire and revive the beautiful traditions of tea dances and seaside concerts. This lush, joyful repertoire was a delight to share, and we hoped to bring a moment of joy to everyone we met. We were also thrilled to connect with the next generation of music-makers in local schools.”
Founded in 2016, Street Orchestra Live had performed in supermarkets, prisons, beaches, ships, and more—proving that no venue was off-limits. Their mission was simple: to bring the joy of live orchestral music to communities who might not otherwise have access to it.
