A FUN-filled bank holiday weekend is guaranteed in Llandudno, as the town’s annual Victorian Extravaganza and Transport Festival both take place from April 29 – May 1.

The Victorian Extravaganza, which fills up the town’s main roads, includes street entertainers, stalls, full-size live steam traction engines, shop window displays and more.

But the three-day event sadly won’t see a return of the usual daily midday parade due to a lack of “money and manpower” this year.

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Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza - what to expect from 2023 event

No daily parade at this year’s Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza

What to expect from Llandudno’s first fringe festival

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Entertainment at this year’s extravaganza will again be provided by a variety of acts, including The Conwy Buskers, The Raccoons, The Pennine Ukelele Group, Rock Choir North Wales, the Cambria Band, and much more.

Often attracting more than 200,000 people to the Llandudno across the weekend, the extravaganza will also host its first fringe festival this year, with a number of comedy and magic acts performing.

It will comprise 13 different, ticketed events, held across five venues (one fringe stage and four side shows).

Where you can catch the fringe festival

  • The Magic Bar Live (first floor of The New Alexandra Hotel, 11 Clonmel Street, LL30 2LE)
  • The New Alexandra Hotel Sports Bar (first floor of The New Alexandra Hotel, 11 Clonmel Street, LL30 2LE)
  • Blend (14 Clonmel Steet, LL30 2LE)
  • Providero (112 Upper Mostyn Street, LL30 2SW)
  • Taylor's Cafe Bar (19 Lloyd Street, LL30 2UU)

What you can enjoy at the fringe festival

  • Griffin & Jones Idiot Magicians
  • Nightmare Magic
  • Amsterdam Magic Show
  • Pete Heat (magic/comedy)
  • An Evening of Insane Magic
  • Instant Magic
  • Aaron Wood and Friends (comedy)
  • Eddie Fortune is Single (comedy)
  • LIAR (magic)
  • Immature Magic
  • Cameron Gibson (magic)
  • Magic in a Jiffy
  • Doomed (comedy)

Tickets for the fringe festival are priced at £10; all shows are scheduled for one hour, while some will be age-appropriate.

The extravaganza has been established for roughly 35 years and is free to attend.

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Those who visit the extravaganza this year can also expect, among much more, a return of the “Steam Arena”, a window dressing competition, a new-look Victorian dress contest, a best-dressed stall competition.

There will also be stalls set up by businesses such as Jims Ices, Ridiculously Rich by Alana, Sisarikg Crafts, Tammy’s Face Painting, and more.

Where best to park for the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza:

  • Marine Drive car park
  • Llandudno Victoria Centre car park
  • Parc Llandudno retail park
  • Mostyn Champneys retail park
  • Llandudno promenade
  • Llandudno railway station

The Llandudno Transport Festival also takes place on the same weekend as the Victorian Extravaganza, and is based on Bodafon Fields.

Running for more than 30 years, the festival will once again have hundreds of lorries, tractors, motorbikes, buses and more for visitors to take in.

In particular, one of the main attractions at this year’s festival will be a replica of the “Rubber Duck” truck as seen in the 1978 film "Convoy".

On both the Saturday and Sunday evenings (April 29 and 30), weather-permitting, a cavalcade of exhibits leave the showground to go via a heavily marshalled route across Llandudno, ascending Marine Drive, and up to the Great Orme.

Plans for the festival to ride around Conwy as per usual on the Saturday evening were not viable this year due to ongoing roadworks.

At the transport festival, the gates open each day at 9am until late on Saturday and Sunday, and until 5pm on Monday.

Admission to the transport festival costs £8.50 for adults, £2 for children, and £2.50 for car parking.

The transport festival and the Victorian Extravaganza will be connected via a free “hop on, hop off” bus service, running from 10am each day, between the pair of them throughout the weekend.

A free shuttle bus will pick up and drop off from Vaughan Street, Llandudno.