Vernon Kay stunned by Lusty Glaze: ‘No way I’m in the UK’

Vernon Kay has broadcast and DJ’d from just about everywhere. A cove tucked under the cliffs at Newquay still left him doubting he was in the country at all.

The BBC Radio 2 presenter headlined Lusty Glaze’s sold-out Dance Sounds of the 90s event, then told listeners the beach felt like “some kind of fever dream.”

Walking down the steps

Vernon said, “It was unbelievable. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever have I stepped up to a location in the UK… I went down the steps to the cove and I thought, this is some kind of fever dream. There is no way I’m in the UK. Look at the colour of the water and look at the beautiful sand, the restaurant, the actual cove itself. It was unbelievable.”

The set came with a curfew he clearly resented. “It was a hard out at 11. There was a curfew, but to be honest, I could have played all night. It was so much fun.”

‘An absolute blinder’

Back on his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Monday 29 June, Vernon thanked the crowd who filled the beach for the sold-out night.

“We had an absolute blinder at Lusty Glaze, down there in Newquay. Absolute scorcher. The sunset was divine. The rave anthems were on full blast. We stuck it on 11… Thank you to everyone that came down. Greatly appreciated. What an evening that was.”

Seeing it through fresh eyes

For Lusty Glaze owner Tracey Griffiths, the reaction summed up something she sees often.

“It’s wonderful to hear someone like Vernon – who has travelled all over the world throughout his broadcasting career – be so genuinely blown away by Lusty Glaze, here in Cornwall!” she said.

“His comments weren’t planned and they certainly weren’t prompted. They came from a place of genuine amazement, and that’s incredibly rewarding because it’s exactly how so many people feel when they first walk down the steps onto the beach here at Lusty.”

Tracey said the venue can lose sight of what it has. “We’re fortunate to call this incredible cove home, so sometimes it’s easy to forget just how extraordinary it is. Seeing it through someone else’s eyes reminds us never to take it for granted.”

She added, “Our events are about creating unforgettable experiences in an unforgettable setting. You can go to a gig almost anywhere, but dancing on the sand beneath the cliffs as the sun sets over the Atlantic is something very few venues can offer. Hearing Vernon Kay say he could have played all night was the ultimate compliment – not just to the venue, but to the atmosphere created by everyone who came along.”

What’s on next

Lusty Glaze is an award-winning privately owned beach in Newquay, hosting live music, weddings, dining experiences, adventure activities and seasonal events through the year. It has grown into one of Cornwall’s most distinctive live music venues, drawing internationally known artists and thousands of visitors to the sand.

The summer programme runs on. Shy FX plays on 10 July, followed by Ibiza Club Classics on 25 July and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again on 26 July, alongside the regular Sundowner Sessions set against the ocean.