Date & Time: Thursday 1 January 2027, from around 12:30pm.
Location: The Foreshore, next to the Lifeboat House, South Bay, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Website: https://visitnorthyorkshire.com/events/new-years-day-dip
Few New Year’s traditions on the Yorkshire coast are quite as bracing, or as entertaining to watch, as the Scarborough New Year’s Day Dip, an annual charity swim that has been drawing hardy participants and cheering crowds to South Bay for more than two decades. Organised by the Scarborough Lions Club, the event sees dozens of costumed swimmers wade, run, and occasionally dive straight into the North Sea on the first morning of the year, all in aid of local good causes.
The dip takes place on the foreshore beside the Lifeboat House in South Bay, with participants gathering shortly beforehand to don fancy dress, ranging from superheroes to seasonal costumes, before taking the plunge together. It is as much a spectator event as a participation one, with a sizeable crowd typically lining the promenade and beach to watch, cheer, and applaud the swimmers’ nerve as they brave the cold January sea. The atmosphere is warm and good-humoured despite the icy water, with plenty of laughter and a real sense of community spirit running through the event.
For visitors, it is an easy, free event to enjoy simply as a spectator, making it a fun and slightly surreal way to start the new year while staying on the coast. Families often bring children to watch the costumes and cheer on the swimmers, while couples looking for something a little different from the usual New Year’s Day walk may find the dip an entertaining, sociable alternative. Those feeling brave enough are usually welcome to take part themselves, with sponsorship encouraged in support of the Lions Club’s charitable work, though warm, dry clothing and a hot drink afterwards are essential.
Because the event draws a crowd to a relatively small stretch of beach, arriving a little before the advertised start gives the best vantage point, and South Bay’s cafés and pubs nearby are a good option for warming up once the swimmers are out of the water. For hotel guests staying over the New Year period, the dip is a lively, low-cost way to see a different side of Scarborough’s community spirit and makes for a memorable, photogenic start to a new year on the coast.
