Vibe

The whole town becomes the venue: people drift between markets, pubs, and club nights at their own pace, dressed to the nines, with the cobbled streets and lit-up Abbey ruins doing as much work as any stage. The autumn Halloween timing brings bigger crowds than the spring edition, the 199 steps turn into a slow-moving procession, and the music events at the Pavilion (Tomorrow's Ghosts) and Royal Hotel (The Revenant) sell out well in advance.