Overview
- Keep Britain Tidy, which published the 2026 list Friday, named 61 Blue Flag beaches and 106 Seaside Award sites, with 41 earning both.
- North Tyneside’s King Edward’s Bay, Tynemouth Longsands and Whitley Bay kept both marks for 2026, as Blyth South and Sunderland’s Roker joined the Blue Flag list.
- In East Yorkshire, Hornsea and Withernsea secured Blue Flags, while Bridlington North, Bridlington South and Wilsthorpe took Seaside Awards with water ratings of excellent, sufficient or good as listed.
- Along the Dorset coast, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole retained six Blue Flags, and the council said Avon Beach missed out due to an administrative error.
- Blue Flag status requires excellent bathing-water quality and strong standards for safety, services and environmental management, while Seaside Awards require at least a sufficient water rating.