Ultimate 80s Adult Weekender at Butlins, Skegness – Review
By Richard Jones, November 2024
Being a child during the 1980s, my memories of the decade are a bit sketchy.
But I think I’d have remembered four grown men dressed in black and silver spandex catsuits, studded belts, permed rocker wigs, platform boots and facepaint during a family holiday in Skegness.
Nevertheless, I’m reliably informed (mainly via Google images) that this particular look – impersonating rock band Kiss, in case you haven’t guessed – was a thing during the 1980s (and 70s), so we didn’t feel that out of place.
Martin, Leigh, Jonathan and I were at Butlin’s Skegness for what has become our annual pre-Christmas party weekend. The four of us all love 80s tunes – “this is my music, it makes me proud, these are my people and this is my crowd” – as a certain rock band once sang.
“The decade of decadence”
So an Ultimate 80s Weekender, taking us and the other holidaymakers back to the decade of decadence, when crazy outfits were all the rage, seemed like a great fit.
It has been over a decade since Butlin’s first introduced their Big Weekenders, adults-only breaks which fall into three categories. There are Dance Weekenders, hosting some of the biggest names from the electronic genre, specially curated Devoted Weekenders dedicated to the likes soul and indie, and Decade Weekenders which take guests back in time from the 1960s to the 2000s.
After arriving in Skeggy, we checked in at the gate, slipped on our wristbands, and made our way to our home for the next three nights, a three-bedroom, six-berth premium lodge in the Maple Walk village.
Each of the brand-new accommodations in this section includes a main master bedroom with a king-sized bed and en-suite shower room, and two twin rooms. They also feature a spacious living area, with a fully equipped kitchen including a full-sized fridge freezer, microwave, oven and hob, and a decked seating area on the front for the warmer months.
“First class”
Maple Walk is tucked away from the lively main resort, giving us a chance to recharge in between the weekend’s chaos. The parking spaces outside each lodge are also a godsend.
After dropping off our stuff and having a few looseners in the lodge, we made our way through the tunnel (a great spot for Insta-worthy pics), and to the Deck And Yacht restaurant in the main building.
Rather than there just being the usual stomach-lining fare, the extensive buffet here is first class, with a wok station, Mediterranean dishes, fish and chips, and fresh meat from the grill in the evening. There’s also fresh fruit, full English breakfasts, omelettes or pancakes as hangover cures at breakfast time.
If you buy a dining package, you definitely won’t go hungry during the weekend.
“Fancy dress is essential”
Fancy dress is essential during a Big Weekender and with a sense of unpretentious camaraderie on the resort, you stick out more if you’ve not made an effort than if you have. While many save their best costumes until Saturday, there are also plenty of outfits on display on Friday and Sunday too.
For our first night, we ordered four shell suits with colourful accessories including headbands, sweatbands, bum bags and sunglasses.
And once we were out, we mingled with others dressed as characters from films, bands or just ‘Frankie Says Relax’ or ‘Choose Life’ t-shirts. Kudos to the 20 or so lads who were dressed in black leather police outfits, complete with handlebar moustaches, and the girls who came as different varieties of Gremlins.
During the first night, we got to see 80s pop icon Sonia in Reds, as well as tribute act Platinum Queen and DJs Doctor Feelgood and Jules Little on the Skyline Stage.
“The drinks continued to flow”
At 11.30am the next morning, feeling more than slightly fuzzy, we made our way to The Diner for a Bottomless Brunch.
For just £37.50, guests get a two-hour slot to binge on unlimited drinks and brunch dishes. But the best bit is the entertainment. Just 20 minutes in, people were already dancing on the tables, and by the end, everyone was sat down shouting Oops Upside Your Head and taking part in a restaurant-wide Conga.
After staggering out of The Diner, we made our way back to Reds for an afternoon of entertainment courtesy of the Bingo Bango team. The drinks continued to flow, which didn’t do us any favours before squeezing into our Kiss costumes.
Thankfully, our kind neighbours next door offered to help out applying the black-and-white make-up, making us look like Starchild, Demon, Spaceman and Catman, or something similar, anyway.
Once we were out, the costumes went down a treat and fellow holidaymakers even queued up to have their pictures taken with us.
However, our fake rocker personas didn’t last as we danced the night away to Wet Wet Wet, DJ Pat Sharp and party tune specialists Black Lace.
“Crazy crazy nights”
As in previous years, the Sunday was much more sedate, but we still got to see a couple of comedy acts in the afternoon, along with New Romantic tribute act From Gold to Rio and Brother Beyond in the evening.
The next day, it was time to pack away our fancy dress costumes and make our way back into the real world, already thinking about how we could possibly top this year’s Kiss outfits.
Butlin’s has been a popular venue for family holiday fun for decades, and I have fond memories of going to Skeggy as a kid during the 1980s.
Now, thanks to their Big Weekenders, the traditional seaside resorts are no longer just famous for their fairgrounds, arcades and beaches, but also their Crazy Crazy Nights.
Butlin’s Big Weekenders, exclusively for adults, has 15 unique three-day weekend getaways at all three of their resorts – Skegness, Bognor Regis and Minehead – across 2025, dedicated to music from popular decades and genres. Starting from £59pp, every Big Weekender includes incredible headline acts, live DJ sets and tribute acts, but as well as three-nights accommodation. Guests can also enjoy pool parties, silent discos, live comedy and Bingo Bango. Premium dining plans available from £34.95 per person per day.
To find out more and to book go to butlins.com or bigweekends.com
