The feature film finale to Kent-born creator Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series filmed at Herne Bay in June 2025, generating an estimated £99,000 for the local economy across three days.
Heartstopper Forever, the film wrapping up the globally watched Netflix series, landed on screens on 17 July — and some of its most memorable scenes were shot right along our stretch of coast. The production spent three days in Herne Bay in June 2025, filming at Neptune’s Arm, Herne Bay Beach, Central Parade and the pier, with support from Kent County Council’s Kent Film Office.
Three days. That’s all it took to put an estimated £99,000 into local businesses, suppliers and hospitality providers in and around the town — one preparation day, one filming day, and one strike day when the trucks are loaded and everything disappears as if it was never there. And it wasn’t the first time, either. Herne Bay featured in a key scene in the Series 1 finale, which is part of why producers came back for the concluding chapter.
The series has deep Kent roots. Alice Oseman, who created the original graphic novels the show is based on, was born in Chatham and grew up near Rochester. The fictional grammar school at the heart of the story is set in Kent — making the county not just a backdrop but the creative foundation for the whole franchise.
Richard Palmer, Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services at Kent County Council, said the council was delighted to welcome the Heartstopper Forever team back, calling Herne Bay “a much-loved location for fans of the series.” The production’s return, he added, “demonstrates the importance of strong relationships with filmmakers” and of delivering a positive experience on location.
The shoot also marks a milestone for Kent Film Office, which is celebrating 20 years of attracting screen productions to the county. Since it launched, the office has pulled in more than £85 million in inward investment from visiting film and television productions — roughly the cost of building a medium-sized secondary school, which puts it in rather useful perspective. Palmer said the office has also helped hundreds of young people take their first steps into the screen industries.
Heartstopper Forever is now available on Netflix worldwide.
Heartstopper finale film brings £99,000 to Herne Bay after Netflix shoot Quiz
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