Top hats, breastplates and the bracing North Sea air: Steampunk fans dress up for weekend at Whitby

Published: 18:58, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 19:17, 25 July 2026 People dressed in top hats, breastplates and Victorian fashion descended on the seaside town of Whitby today to celebrate the bi-annual Steampunk weekend. The Whitby Steampunk weekend is held twice a year in the North Yorkshire town and features over 80 trade stalls, a retail emporium and talks.  People come dressed in futuristic Victorian themed outfits to celebrate their favourite sub-genre of science fiction.  Steampunk is a subculture that is inspired by 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery. It imagines a future where steam power and clockwork remained the dominant technology.  It means fans can look Victorian but with a science-fiction twist. The festival runs twice a year in February and July and began in 2017.   Goths and steampunk fans alike flock to Whitby because of its connection to Bram Stoker's Dracula.  Mr Stoker visited the Yorkshire coast in 1890 – which helped to inspire locations in the novel, such as Whitby Abbey.  Anne Joyce (L), 61, grandson Asriel Lackenby, 8, and Malcolm Joyce, 64, from Northumberland visited the Whitby Steampunk Weekend  Keith Hawkins, 64, from York, dressed in full body armour including a horned helmet and breastplate as he heads to Whitby  A woman and her gargoyle sit outside a cafe in the twice yearly event celebrating retro-futuristic Victorian fashion and technology David Winder, 62, from Lancaster, poses for a picture wearing a hat decorated with feathers Vivian Moore and Andy Ireland, from Bridlington today in a military style uniform and a white dress Karen and Fred Porter, from Lincoln come dressed in black ready to attend the weekend entertainment in Whitby  A couple in ornate clothing walk past an arcade store in Whitby   Lee Robinson, from Leeds, wearing his costume as he attends the weekend in Whitby that features over 80 trade stalls, a Steampunk retail emporium, and various talks A group of friends dress up in green face paint, a mechanical donkey costume, a fairy and a red and orange outfit  Sharon Dodds from Ashington wears a large clock - it's a nod to a 'steampunk' future where steam power and clockwork remain the dominant technology Liz Bishop from Saltburn descends on Whitby for the steampunk weekend in a white dress with sunglasses and a large hat A couple in purple steampunk clothing sit outside a bar enjoying a drink to celebrate the sub-culture The gathering is held in February and July every year in Whitby, North Yorkshire.  Daytime activities include a steampunk market and educational presentations but evenings also include concerts and other events that require a ticket.  On Saturday evening, two tribute bands including the Duran Duran Experience and the Ant-Trouble will be performing.  Whitby is also home to the Goth weekend, a twice-yearly alternative music festival where people dress up in black in the town where Bram Stoker found inspiration for Dracula.