With over 5000 tonnes of sand and 30 amazingly detailed sand sculptures to enjoy at the Weston Sand Sculpture Festival, picking just 10 of my favourites has been quite a challenge!
The theme for the 2018 sand sculpture festival at Weston Super Mare, Somerset was ‘the circus’. This theme allowed for some incredible sand sculptures that detailed the history of the circus, it’s controversies and also the sheer brilliance of its entertainment factor.
To find out more about the festival and my visit a few weeks ago check out the post I wrote – there are loads more photos of the festival and sculptures to see too!
When picking my top ten sculptures I decided to pick 5 from the main festival and 5 entries from the competition zone.
Here we go..
Main Festival Sculptures:
- Monkey business
This is the first sculpture you spot once you have entered the festival and what a sculpture it is! I love how fun and exciting it is and how it’s also on one of the photo opportunity sculptures visitors can get involved with and have their photo taken on. You can jump into the car with the monkeys and see what monkey business you can get up to!
- Elephant
I was really intrigued by this sculpture and thought the elephant looked so realistic and lifelike. The information board accompanying the sculpture told visitors that elephants first appeared within the circus in the UK back in 1810. The information also detailed how ex-prime minister David Cameron promised to ban wild animals in the use of circus acts within England and Wales. Sadly, as the artist went on to explain, how this promise was not kept and that in some place animals are still being used within circuses and as entertainment today. This made me feel really sad and disappointed. I immediately felt sorry for the elephant, which obviously wasn’t real, however it symbolised other elephants and animals that should be out roaming in the wild and not used for human entertainment.
- Strong man
This sculpture made me smile, I’m not sure why but it really did. It reminded me not of going to the circus, but instead of watching the worlds strongest man on TV with my big sister – maybe that’s why it made me smile!
- Bear
Again this was another sculpture that encouraged visitors to think about the history of the circus. Bears used to be a regular feature in circus entertainment as they are very intelligent and could be taught skills and tricks. Luckily no bears are used within circuses today which is definitely a good thing in my eyes!
- Fortune teller
This rather cheeky sculpture is situated outside the front of the festival and is obviously a fortune teller – I guess she spent her summer predicting visitors would have a fun time at the festival! I didn’t actually notice her as I went in – surprising given her rather ample bosoms but did on the way out and thought it was a great sculpture.
Competition Zone Sculptures:
- Unbearable
Another bear sculpture – this one looking very fed up at being part of the circus which made me feel really sad. This one made me think about how lots of people visiting the circus in the past would have loved seeing a bear perform tricks, and whilst I understand that, it is just so cruel. I thought about what the living conditions may have been like for the animals backstage and how they would have been kept caged up and punished for not performing. Definitely makes you pleased bears aren’t used in circuses today, doesn’t it!
- Puppet master
This sculpture seemed to be really popular on the day I visited with lots of younger children admiring it and saying how cute the teddy bear looked. The artist created this sculpture around the idea asking whether there is a great puppet master controlling us and thinking about the powerful position the media hold. Another thought-provoking sculpture and more than meets the eye!
- Who knows what we saw
I thought this sculpture really summed up fun at the circus for me. I am not one who is scared of clowns and have luckily always found them to be funny growing up and as an adult. This one depicts the trick of pretending to saw someone in half – always a good one to watch just in case it goes wrong! I liked how the clown’s noses were red in colour too!
- Horror clown
On the theme of clowns, I chose this horror clown sculpture as one of my favourites – purely for how horribly scary it is! As I just said above, I’ve never been one to be afraid of clowns but after seeing this double-sided clown I’m now not so sure about their harmless nature! I’m not sure I’ll be watching the new ‘IT’ film anytime soon…!
- Animal crackers: elect a clown, expect a circus
I hadn’t realised until I wrote this that I had chosen another clown themed sculpture to put in my favourites – I guess these must symbolise the circus for me! I liked this cheeky chappy though and the detail on his outfit – so clever. I really enjoyed the humour in the title of the sculpture too. Apparently, the artist created this sculpture based on the film ‘Animal Crackers’ which is about a family that aims to save a run-down circus – I personally haven’t seen it before myself but am intrigued to check it out now!
So there we have it, my favourites from this year’s Weston Sand Sculpture Festival! Don’t forget to check out my full blog post reviewing the festival and both mine and the festival’s Instagram pages for more details and pictures!
*** I was given free entry to the festival, however, all thoughts, pictures and opinions are entirely my own ***
Which sculpture grabbed your attention the most?
Fancy watching IT? Great movie! Love the sand sculptures. I reckon the clown and the bear one was the best 🙂 Xxx
Ermm no! They are so good aren’t they, hard to choose just one fave! xxxx
I LOVE sand sculptures!! I think the Puppet Master and Horror Clown were my favorites!!
Me too! Awesome, good choices!
These are amazing! I mean, I usually feel pretty proud if I can construct a simple castle ha!
Yes me too! Such incredible work!
Those are fantastic! I love the circus theme so much. The elephant I think is my favourite but that freaky clown – not so much!
It really was a great theme, allowed for so much creativity. Yeah he is pretty scary!!
WOW !!!!!!!! These are amazing! I give the artists so much credit for being able to construct such masterful works of art that are legit PERFECT!!
I couldn’t agree with you more!
Oh wow! They are just amazing. Such detail. And to think they are temporary! The clown is a bit scary…
Yeah, they are there for the time the festival is over and then bulldozed and returned to the rest of the beach!
These look so great! Can’t believe how talented some people are!
I know, wish I could make something as cool as these!
The sculptures look amazing indeed. I would love to see them myself. Thanks for sharing!
I really recommend it for a family day out, I really enjoyed it.
Wow.. amazing sculptures.. they look amazing. Thanks for sharing.
They were!
Oh those are so cool. I wish i lived near the beach so i could attend similar events.
Yeah it’s so clever and well worth a trip to Weston Super Mare!
Those are so cool. That clown is freaky man.
I know right! Pretty scary!
This is so cool! I loved the photos and history behind everything. Great post!
Me too, the stories and meanings behind the sculptures made it so much more interesting and engaging. I love trips out that are fun but make you think too!
These are all incredible!!! Amazing that people can make these from sand! I don’t like the circus, I think it’s awful they are still allowed to use animals in 2018 xx
They are awesome, aren’t they! I know, luckily I haven’t seen it in the UK but not sure about other countries 🙁
That excellent elephant is my top fav. however I also like that monkey business too, the detail is amazing xx
They are both great aren’t they! Elephant was a very popular one I think!
Wow these are incredible! My favourite is Monkey Business. That Horror Clown is terrifying! x
The monkey business one is so cool isn’t it – great you can get involved and have your photo with that one! The clown was scary for sure!
These sculptures are absolutely phenomenal. I love the bear. People are so so talented. I would have loved to have seen these in real life.
Phenomenal is a good way to describe them for sure! The bear has been a really popular choice!
I love the elephant, it is soooo awesome! I can’t believe these sculptures
I loved the elephant too! They are awesome aren’t they!
The sculptures are fantastic and the the stories behind the are better, it really adds to their personality.
I totally agree! It was so interesting reading the meaning behind them all!
What a fun and great experience you had. I’ve been with Weston Sand Sculpture Festival too. And I can say that all of the sculpture are really amazing.
Oh brill, glad you have visited and enjoyed the festival too!
These are amazing . Such an fantastic talent. I have seen them being done on holiday and it takes so much time and effort only for it to get washed away at the end of the day..☹
They are so cool! Washed away but ready to be rebuilt next year!
It blows my mind that these are all made of sand, so so amazing!!
Katie xoxo
Incredible isn’t it!
They are all amazing but I really love the elephant!!
The elephant seems to be a popular one!
These are all amazing, such creative talent and patience!
I know, I can’t imagine how long they take to complete and the skill needed!
How fun is this place!! I am a big fan of sand sculptures and am amazed about what people can make out of sand. The best looked pretty cool.
Me too, they are so cool – I’m already looking forward to next year!
Those are so amazing! I am in awe of the talent it takes to create sculptures like that.
Me too, so much talent!
Sand sculpture just blows me away! I’m lucky if I can get my molded bucket castle to stand up. I’m in awe of these. The elephant is my fave.
Haha yes me too, I think the next time I’m at the beach I will try extra hard to build an impressive sandcastle!!
I love going to the beach to see the sand festivals. They are big deals in South Korea. I think my favorite is the teddy bear.
Oh really that’s cool, maybe I’ll have to venture outside the UK for a sand festival sometime! I liked the teddy bear too 🙂
I’ve heard of these contests before but never been to one! Your pictures make me think I should definitely put this on my list now 😀
It’s certainly a great festival! Check it out in 2019!
Wow these are fabulous – I love making sand castles but this is another level haha! Love the circus theme & the thought behind them
Another level for sure, they were amazing and it was such a good theme!
Oh my! These are absolutely incredible. What talent! And how cute is that bear? I love it so much!
The bear was an awesome one for sure – great meaning behind it!
Wow! This is so amazing! This is next level talent! I would love to see this in real life 🙂
I so recommend it, definitely worth a viist!
This sand art is so cool! The people who design them are so talented. I can only imagine how long each creation takes.
I know I bet it takes quite a while yo design them and then build it! Epic!
Wow these are incredible; the attention to detail is insane. I love the fortune teller!
Yes she is great isn’t she!
Wow that is such a amazing contest i love to watch it in person hope to experience that someday .,
I hope you get to visit, maybe the 2019 festival!
I love sand sculptures bit I can’t make any 😢 but I must say they are beautiful.
Ah that’s a shame – maybe next year in Weston?!
These are so clever. I love the elephant and the bear the best x
They are amazing, very popular choices too!
Aw those sculpture are stunning! Looks like fun
It was such a good afternoon 🙂
Wow, these are so impressive! Great to have a theme for it too, to really draw you in, and have some powerful messages behind the sculptures. I have to admit I’m not one who is keen on clowns though!
Pretty clever aren’t they! I loved the theme, such a good idea! The clowns were a bit creepy!
All of these are so intricate and impeccably detailed. It’s such an impressive feat to be able to create something like this!
They are awesome, aren’t they! So much talent!
Those sand sculptures are so incredible and so impressive. The detail that goes into them is amazing. If I had to pick my favourite, I think it would have to be the bear.
Yes the bear is amazing, it’s been picked a lot by readers!
Wow, these sculptures are seriously the coolest thing ever! I want to watch them make them!
Me too! That would be so cool!
The bear sculptures are pretty awesome. I have such high regard for the artists! I would be heartbroken to see these sculptures destroyed after the event. 🙁
I love the bear too. They get bulldozed and the sand put back on the beach – ready to be dug up again next year and made into something new!
Ohhh those are so amazing! I do not fancy the clowns much though. That It sculpture is terrifying!
No the clowns have received mixed responses! Pretty freaky!
I liked the puppet master sculpture best! Its amazing isn’t it how much you can do with sand and the skill that goes into these
Yes I loved the puppet master one too! It’s so incredibly clever!
I like how they didn’t shy away from the topic of animals in the circus. It is indeed awful that they were and in some cases still are a part of circus life. I worked for a circus for a while in the United States, but my circus did not have animals as part of the entertainment.
Me too, I totally agree with you, so much meaning and history behind the sculptures, it was great and really made people think too! Oh wow bet that was a fun experience!
Omg so much creativity here! Who knew you could make such creations with sand?!?
I know right! Amazing!
I love the teddy bear sculpture! Enjoying sand sculptures on the beach is one of my favorite activities.