One of my favourite events to attend is the Whitby Goth Weekend. It usually takes place twice a year and for the last couple of years I’ve only attended the later event. It takes place over the Halloween weekend which for 2025 meant it was taking place in early November.
Whitby Goth Weekend November 2025
Because I have attended this event a number of times over the years, many of the regulars who attend are known to me. This means they are more likely to agree to pose for a portrait but also means it’s sometimes possible to arrange a dedicated photoshoot with them. A dedicated photoshoot means you can try out a few different backgrounds around Whitby but also means the model and photographer can discuss some possible poses beforehand. The better prepared you are the more likely both parties will get what they want from the photoshoot.
One such photoshoot was with Libby who has been coming to Whitby for a few years now. I think she was only 14 when I first photographed her. Still only in her teens it’s always a pleasure to meet her and her family who attend Whitby Goth Weekend with her. A portrait of Libby is at the very top of this article.
It’s not just Goths who attend the weekend either, especially the event that takes place around Halloween. You do get lots of people dressing up in scary costumes from horror movies. It’s pretty much anything goes as you will see from the small selection of images in the gallery below. To see more of my images from the weekend you can visit my Facebook album for the event which contains over 140 images.
Whitby Goth Weekend 2026
In 2026 there seems to be 3 Goth weekends taking place in Whitby. In late April there is an event called the Whitby Goth Gathering. Then for the early May bank holiday there is the traditional Whitby Goth Weekend. Finally the later event will again take place around Halloween, the weekend of October 30th – November 1st. The two earlier events are causing a great deal of confusion for those who like to attend these events. It’s not at all clear how each event will be different and it risks diluting the event generally. I’d be interested to see how popular the early May bank holiday event is since there are so many other events taking place around the country that weekend. Whitby is a popular location to visit over any bank holiday but I do see there being far less people dressed as Goths and indeed less photographers. That same bank holiday has Steampunk events taking place in Portmeirion and Haworth, a Comic Con in Liverpool and far more events besides. As such I have decided to only attend the later event this year taking place in late October / early November.
