INVASION COLCHESTER
SATURDAY
7 SEPTEMBER 2024
CHARACTERS & THEMED AREAS · SHOW CARS · SPECIAL GUESTS · COMPETITIONS · LIVE MUSIC
Invasion Colchester is over for another year.
Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors, charities, and associates for their incredible efforts to help us put the event on, and to help us raise as much money for charity as possible.
Thank you to each and every volunteer, performer, and costumer who gave up their time for the day to hang out with us, spread some joy, and help us collect the all-important donations.
And thank you to all of you who came along to enjoy Invasion Colchester, got dressed up, dropped some coins or notes into our buckets, and tapped you cards and phones on our donation machines. You will all have helped someone when they needed it!
Look out for characters from Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Doctor Who, Predators, Jurassic Park, Movie Princesses and more, as well as your favourite Comic Book and Movie Superheroes, plus Show Cars from TV and film, amazing live performances from some supremely talented local musicians, and fun competitions you can take part in with a great selection of prizes to be won, all coming in 2025!
If you still want to donate, check out our charities' websites for information:
St Helena Hospice, Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity, and Mind (Mid & North East Essex).
We'll be sharing a full list of thankyous and 2024's grand total very soon...
Grand Total for 2024
£0
Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors and charities for their incredible efforts last year to help us achieve this fantastic total including Culver Square, Lion Walk, Fenwick, Ace Comics, InColchester, Colchester City Council and Market, St Helena Hospice, Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity, and Mind (Mid & North East Essex).
Thanks also to the companies and performers , our special guests, and to each and every volunteer and costumer who gave up their time for the day to hang out with us, spread some joy, and help us collect the all-important donations. We will endeavour to thank everyone on th is site imminently.
Lastly, thank you to all of you who came along in 2024 to enjoy Invasion Colchester, got dressed up, and dropped some coins or notes into our buckets. You will all have helped someone when they needed it.
See you again in 2025!
What's On
ACE Comics
Culver Street East
Look out for... A host of recognisable characters from TV, film, and fantasy, plus the famous tombola
Colchester Castle
Castle Park
Look out for... A selection of historical characters taking over the castle, from Roman Legionaries and Medieval Barons to Great War Tommies
Colchester Library
Trinity Square
Look out for... A Stargate
Colchester Market
High Street
Look out for... More familiar characters from TV and film
Colchester Town Hall
High Street
Look out for... Fragers Gamerbus
Community 360
Long Wyre Street
Look out for... Incredible Star Wars displays, droids and characters
Culver Square Shopping Centre
Culver Square
Look out for... 40th Anniversary of Ghostbusters including big displays and Ectomobiles, Dinosaurs, Movie Princesses, Props Dept display (including Game of Thrones, Gremlins, Stranger Things, Wednesday, and more), Lightning McQueen, Show Cars, Stalls, the St Helena Hospice team, plus the Fancy Dress Competition
Curzon Cinema
Queen Street
Look out for... A special screening of Batman Forever at 8pm for Invasion Colchester
Fenwick
High Street
Look out for... Optimus Prime, Show Cars, and the Mind (Mid & North East Essex) team
Firstsite
High Street
Look out for... A quiet zone, lunar lullabies, lots of crafts, and a special movie screening
Lion Walk Shopping Centre
Lion Walk
Look out for... Our Special Guests, Comic Characters and Super Heroes (including Deadpool), Doctor Who Props, Predators, Steampunk, the Batmobile, DJ Fettdog, Live Music from Rob Prince, Jake Cheek, Jack Walsh, Wooden Maiden, and busker Sarah Louise, Arcade Alley, the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity team, plus Sabacc (Star Wars in-universe card game) demonstrations!
Mercury Theatre
Balkerne Gate
Look out for... 'Don't be a Hero' film podcast
MP Galleries
Sir Isaac's Walk
Look out for... Rob Bishop exhibition and artist appearance, more characters
Other Monkey Brewing
St Nicholas Street
Look out for... A special beer for Invasion Colchester on tap at The Taproom, with a portion of the proceeds going to Invasion Colchester
St Nicholas Square
Off High Street
Look out for... Show Cars - Marvellous machines from TV and film
War Memorial
High Street
Look out for... Coasters Scooter Club featuring a scooter ridden by Phil Daniels in Quadrophenia, plenty of gear on display, and music
Scroll down for more details...
Fancy Dress Competition
Fancy winning a cool prize just for dressing up as your favourite character from TV and film? Are you aged under 14? If so, you're in luck as the Invasion Colchester Children's Fancy Dress Competition is taking place in Culver Square Shopping Centre on Saturday, 7 September!
There will be three different age catergories - 4 and under, 5-8 and 9+ - and First, Second and Third placed prizes in each category.
To get your hands on a prize, put on your best costume, bought or home-made, head in to Colchester city centre for Invasion Colchester, and make sure you’re near the judging area in Culver Square Shopping Centre at the alloted time.
The Fancy Dress Competition area will be roped off and only the children entering the competition will be permitted into the area - unless the children are really little, parents will be asked to stay behind the rope to avoid unecessary crowding.
Once the competitions have been judged and the winners have been awarded their prizes, a group photograph will be taken.
Good luck!
| Competition Timetable | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age Range | Judging Time | Location |
| 4 and unders | 11.00am | Culver Square |
| 5-8 year olds | 12.30pm | Culver Square |
| 9+ | 2.00pm | Culver Square |
2024 Prize Draw Winners
This year, 1647 tickets were sold, raising £1647 directly for Mind (Mid & North East Essex). This amount will be added to the overall Invasion Colchester 2024 total.
The draw took place on Friday, 27 September 2024 at ACE Comics. Winning ticket numbers are listed below, and the winners will be contacted in due course...
- 0023
- 0083
- 0218
- 0257
- 0274
- 0372
- 0489
- 0504
- 0805
- 0938
- 0951
- 1070
- 1081
- 1135
- 1334
- 1420
- 1451
- 1678
Thank you if you bought tickets and contributed to this fantastic donation, and congratulations to all of the winners!
Live Music & Entertainment
Live music has always been something that Invasion Colchester is keen to promote, showcasing some amazing artists from the local area.
As well as impromptu performances from busker Sarah Louise, 2024's line-up features a brilliant mix of musical talent to entertain your ears throughout the afternoon in Lion Walk, including Rob Prince, Jake Cheek, Jack Walsh, and Colchester legends Wooden Maiden!
| Live Music Line-Up | |
|---|---|
| Time | Artist |
| 12.00pm | Rob Prince |
| 1.00pm | Jake Cheek |
| 2.00pm | Jack Walsh |
| 3.00pm | Wooden Maiden |
| DJ Fettdog will play through the day | |
Show Cars
Invasion Colchester has featured some famous Show Cars at previous events, from Batmobiles, Trandformers, and the Ecto-1, to Cop Cars, Mr. Bean's Mini, and the 'Back to the Future' Delorian.
This year will be no exception with reams of recognisable rides on display in St Nicholas Square, Culver Square, and on the High Street, So come along to Invasion Colchester on Saturday 7 September and get up close and personal with some magnificent machines!
Invasion Ale
You can wet your whistle during Invasion Colchester thanks to the fabulous Other Monkey Brewing, who have paired up with us once again to craft a special beer for the event
The beer will be on tap at The Taproom with a portion of the proceeds going to Invasion Colchester!
Come in Costume and Travel on Colchester Park and Ride for Free!
Anyone visiting Invasion Colchester in costume / fancy dress will be able to travel on the Colchester Park and Ride for free*.
The regular fares are listed below.
| Colchester Park and Ride | |
|---|---|
| Adult | £3.00 |
| Child (between 5–18 ) | £1.00 |
| Under 5's | Free |
| Concessionary | £1.50 |
| Park and Ride will be operating 05:30am – 21:30pm | |
Gallery
View the Gallery
Batman
at Colchester Castle
Check out this amazing gallery from Batman's visit to Colchester Castle!
View the Gallery
Get in Touch
Whether you're interested in joining the cast of costumed characters, want to help us raise as much as possible on the day, have some fantastic ideas on how we can raise even more money than before, or if you would just like a little more information, you can use the form below to get in touch with us.
