Town's fancy dress new year tradition returns

People turned out in fancy dress as part of a push to revive a New Year's Eve tradition

Mark Warren, who runs the Newquay Business Improvement District (BID), said the fancy dress party in the Cornish town "used to be legendary but after Covid it died out".

Town managers offered prizes in a bid to encourage more people to dress up for the event, including £200 worth of bar tabs.

Bus driver Daniel Combes, who dressed up as a vampire for the occasion, said he had not been out on New Year's Eve for about 15 years. His partner, Jenna Young, said fancy dress allowed you to be "anybody you want to be".

Paul, from Fareham, wore a blow-up dinosaur costume and said dressing up was "a bit of fun".

He said he used to love the event in Newquay, adding: "I once went as a chicken and a few times I dressed up as the pop star Prince and it was such good fun.

"I think it really adds something to the night, there's healthy competition to have the best outfit and it really gets people in the party mood."

Entries from the inaugural pub fancy dress competition would be shared on Friday for a public vote, Newquay BID said.

Fancy dress street parties also took place in St Ives where an estimated 40,000 people attended.

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