Madonna has surprised locals in a UK seaside town as she spent time exploring all it has to offer. The Queen of Pop jets all around the world, in cities like New York, Los Angeles and London.

However, she bucked the trend this weekend as she opted to spend time in the seaside town of Margate in Kent. She mingled with locals at a free arts festival and spent time with award-winning artist Tracey Emin. It seems Margate certainly won Madonna over, as she raved about the town to her 20 million Instagram followers.

Margate has had a resurgence in recent years thanks to its arts and culture scene. More and more tourists have flocked to the town to soak up its sandy beach, retro fairground and many dining options.

The town has a population of just over 60,000 and is around 80 miles from London. Often dubbed England’s coolest seaside town, Margate may see even more of a boost thanks to Madonna’s endorsement.

The Hung Up hitmaker praised friend Tracey Emin and the work she has done in Margate. Madonna said: “I have known Tracey for over 25 years and I’ve always been a fan of her extremely personal and provocative work.

“But what she has created in this community by the sea is quite remarkable.” She detailed Tracey’s artist residency programme, which gives young artists from around the world the chance to live and paint in Margate for several months.

Madonna revealed she has been to Margate “a few times now” and has been struck by the “commitment and passion” from the local artists.

She continued: “Not only that, but the whole town seems to be inhabited and energized by creativity. Writers and performance artists, photographers, and painters. This is my idea of heaven.”

The pop star shared her own experience of Margate: “Whenever I go there, I feel like I’ve entered a dream. On top of all of that, I get to eat at my favorite Italian restaurant which I’m not giving anyone the name of because then everyone’s going to go there and it only has one table!!”