Stormtroopers on the Beach: Star Wars Fans Flock to Lancashire Seaside Town

Cleveleys, a seaside town in Lancashire, has become an unexpected pilgrimage site for Star Wars fans after serving as the filming location for the Disney+ series Andor in 2021. The town's promenade was transformed into the planet Niamos for the show, a prequel to Rogue One. Jessica Monger, a 41-year-old Star Wars superfan who moved from California to Cleveleys in 2012, teamed up with local fan Neil Trickett to organize free public meet-ups at the filming site. Four years later, the events attract hundreds of devotees, some traveling from as far as Eastern Europe, to take photos, buy merchandise, and celebrate the franchise. Highlights include a replica droid from a famous scene and cosplayers dressed as Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, and Chewbacca. The annual meet-up is scheduled for Sunday from 10:30 BST to 16:00. Monger and Trickett continue to lean into the town's Star Wars connection, which has also been commemorated with a promenade plaque and a mural.