Organisers have revealed that a popular seafood festival WILL return - three weeks after announcing it was cancelled.

It has been posted on the Seafeast social media channels that the Dorset Seafood Festival will be held this year - taking place on September 7-8 at Weymouth Peninsula.

However organisers have refused to give any more detail at this time as to why they have made a sudden U-turn.

They have told the Echo that they ‘will be sharing more information in the next couple of days.’

This revelation has been met with lots of positivity from Weymouth locals who were sad to see the festival go.

It was announced just three weeks ago that the two-day festival would not be going ahead in 2024.

Organisers blamed an increase in the site fee for its cancellation - despite a record turnout at last year's event.

Laura Avant, Festival Director, originally said: “We are very proud that we found a way to keep the Festival going through difficult times over the past few years – first the Covid-19 pandemic where we lost a whole year, then the funding problems caused by the worsening economic climate. We know ticketing wasn’t an approach approved of by everyone, but it just about enabled us to cover costs and keep the event going.

"The new format came with some great benefits too, with a less crowded space and the ability for us to provide much more seating, children’s cookery workshops, art activities etc, we’ve had some amazing feedback.

"The festival has always been a labour of love, everyone who gets involved ends up putting in more time than they really should. The reward for our small team has always more about a sense of achievement than anything else. However the recent cost increases are such that we must now go with our heads and not our hearts.

"The festival has raised more than £90,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission charity over the years and has been the biggest annual event contributor to their funding. The charity is close to the heart of everyone involved with the Festival, and we’re truly sorry that fundraising efforts won’t continue next year.

"Thank you to everyone who has attended the festival over the years, please continue to enjoy sustainable local seafood! A huge thank you to our sponsors, stall holders, partners, chefs, musicians and local contractors too – it’s been a real team effort (and a blast!) hosting the event and we couldn’t have done it without you.”

The annual festival was founded in 2008 and over the years grew to become one of Weymouth’s biggest events.