Lincoln Steampunk festival attracts thousands with 'colour in darkness'

Thousands of people from across the globe have packed the streets of Lincoln for the city's annual Steampunk festival.

About 50,000 people were expected to attend the four-day event, believed to the largest of its kind in the world, over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Organisers said the festival celebrated "imagination and creativity".

The Steampunk movement blends science fiction with reimagined Victorian fashion and technology.

This year's Asylum Steampunk Festival features live music, performances, fashion shows, talks, workshops and costume competitions in Lincoln's historic centre.

"Anything goes - you can just let your imagination roll and just go with it," said Jenny Campbell, who travelled from Nottingham.

Amy Elizabeth Smith, an artist from Cheshire, said the festival brought together "a very broad church of different creative ideas".

"Lincoln is the best setting," she added. "You have the architecture, you've got the people, the friendliness."

Organiser John Naylor, chair of the Victorian Steampunk Society, said the festival offered "escapism" at what was a difficult time for many people.

He told BBC Look North: "We've got people who travelled from Japan to be here, Germany, Sweden and obviously lots and lots of locals.

"People just want colour in darkness."

The festival was first held in 2009 and brings an estimated £2.5m to the local economy.

After the cancellation of Lincoln's Christmas market, it is now the biggest event in the city's calendar.

Mr Naylor said: "After 15 years of running this and building it from just 400 people and campaigning and working hard to be accepted, it's actually quite validating to be in many ways one of the most important annual dates on the calendar for the city."

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