Tenby Summer Spectacular

Pembrokeshire County Council has stressed it has not “requested or given direction” that Tenby’s much-loved Summer Spectacular should be cancelled after fears have been raised it may not go ahead.

Earlier this week, organisers Tenby Round Table said it was “with enormous sadness,” announcing that the Tenby Summer Spectacular events, scheduled for August 16 and 30, are cancelled until further notice.

The events, which have been a staple in Tenby’s summer calendar for many years, but the Round Table says negotiations with Pembrokeshire County Council have failed to produce a clear, workable agreement on temporary restrictions for pedestrian access during the event.

Without that, they say, they cannot legally or safely control crowd numbers.

A spokesperson said that legal and logistical uncertainty from the council meant organisers could not commit to running such a large-scale event this year, adding the situation has not improved despite months of requests, meetings, and professional safety consultations.

In a statement issued earlier this week, Tenby Round Table said: “We have done everything a responsible event organiser can do.”

It claimed: “PCC’s Public Realm department has had nine months to answer one question on safe and controlled access to the harbour. It has not done so.”

The group maintains that similar crowd management techniques are standard elsewhere in the country and vital for safety.

The Round Table added: “Given the lack of clarity and the time needed to arrange these events, we cannot commit to running events for thousands of people based on a legal position that PCC’s own officers have admitted is still not settled.”

It has stressed the cancellation is provisional, giving the council “a final deadline of June 25 to provide a clear, accurate, and legally grounded answer,” adding: “If they do, we will do everything in our power to reinstate the events.”

It said it was still working with relevant authorities ahead of a council licencing committee meeting in July, which will decide on whether a licence to host the events is renewed.

Responding, Pembrokeshire County Council Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller said the council supports the Spectacular and “has not requested or given direction that the event should be cancelled”.

He added: “The Spectacular is a much-loved event with significant number of attendees. As a result, we have an important duty to make sure the event can take place safely to address the concerns formally raised by the responsible authorities under the licensing act, which include the blue light services.

“Tenby Harbour is a working harbour and a key community asset – and just as every year this event needs to be licensed, and the organisers need to provide important information on how they plan to safely manage the event.

“As a council, we very much want this event to go ahead, but we have to make sure the event is safe for the public, with the right safety measures in place.

“Once the organisers provide the required information, the licensing sub-committee (currently scheduled for July) will consider the event application, in exactly the same way they consider the large number of other events which occur across Pembrokeshire each year.”

Local Member, Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, added: “I want to see the Spectaculars go ahead. It is important for locals and visitors alike to celebrate Tenby, have fun and raise money for worthy causes.

“I am really encouraged from meetings that I have had with senior officers that everyone is ready to do all that they can to enable these events to go ahead.”