Southport Chilli Festival is coming to the town for the first time this weekend.

After appearing in Blackpool for four years, the Chilli Festival has relocated to Southport and is set to arrive on Saturday June 17.

Entry for the festival is free of charge and the fiesta will take place from 10am – 5.30pm at Town Hall on Lord Street.

Alexander Mustang, 45, founder of ChilliFestUK, said: “I was asked to bring the event to Southport by Southport BID and I came to look at the venue, and I just fell in love with it.

“The event, which couldn’t have taken place without support from Southport BID, should be popular, as when we have nice weather, our other events attract roughly 2,000 people throughout the day.”

There will be hot food, hot sauces, hot dips, chilli cheese, spicy snacks, plants, seed gin bar and chilli beer and cocktails.

Alexander added: “This event helps local producers who work extremely hard and come from all over the country. The products on offer are completely unique, you cannot buy them from the supermarket.”

Local business, Remedy, will be involved in the event.

Sarah Simcock, co-owner of Remedy, said: “We are really excited to get involved in this event.

“We will be bringing a variety of chilli related gin products. We are going to bring chilli gin, gin best served with chilli, chilli mixers and chilli gin cocktails.”

A clash of the titans chilli eating contest will take place at 3.30pm. You can enter the contest on the day, but must be over 18 years of age, have no serious medical condition or illness, bring along identification and sign a wavier.

Alexander added: “It is set to be a day of chilli mayhem as we call it, as people do not come for fun, they come for the pain. We will have some of the hottest chillies in the UK on offer.

“The winner of the chilli-eating competition will become the proud owner of a t-shirt which reads ‘chilli titan champion.’”