Herne Bay will be taken back to its Victorian heyday when the 2015 Festival comes to town in August.

The theme was decided after a public vote on social media run by event organisers Continental Drifts.

In total 43% voted for the historical theme, ahead of 32% for Wish You Were Here and 25% for Herne Bay Through the Ages.

Continental Drifts spokesman Alex Mahoney said the event will be a challenge to organise, but believes there is a good group of people in the town to help make it work.

She said: “We want to celebrate HerneBay in its heyday as a Victorian Seaside resort.

“So all events will celebrate this heritage and take on the theme of the traditional seaside, with candy floss, donkeys, music halls, crabbing, Punch & Judy, and sandcastles.”

Last year the company dazzled crowds with spectacular fireworks displays showing a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Now they are hoping for similar success in the second of the three year contract to run the public event in August.

Ms Mahoney added: “Lot’s of people were super keen for the Victorian theme as HerneBay has strong connections to that era.

“We could have period costume events for our lantern parades and hat making competitions. We will have fireworks displays and we could have a music hall theme with big brass bands playing.

“We also want the community to get involved and run their own events as part of the theme. So we will be contacting groups involved last year and hope they will come back to us again this summer.”

The town has strong Victorian connections, with the world’s oldest free standing Clock Tower being built on the seafront in 1837.

In the 1840s there was a steamboat service that took people from London to HerneBay, then the railway arrived in 1861.

The first pier was built in 1870, and then the iron pier, which was one of Britain’s longest, was built in 1896.

Then shortly after Queen Victoria’s death, her daughters opened the Kings Hall in Beacon Hill in 1904.

The festival this year will be from August 22 to August 30. Businesses and community groups interested in running events or getting involved can email: events@continentaldrifts.co.uk.