Summer days are starting to creep in and we’re so lucky in Cornwall to have a whole host of food, drink and music festivals to enjoy, right on our doorstep.
Here are our top festival highlights for Summer 2022:
The Great Estate
2-5 June
Kicking off celebrations over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, this fantastic affair features gin gardens, arty happenings, workshops, sideshows and big music acts like this year’s headliners the Manic Street Preachers. Let little ones run wild in The Playground with traditional fairground rides and games, face painting, craft workshops and hula hoops. Or visit Madame Wong’s House of Wrong for weird and wonderful entertainment from circus contortionists to sword swallowers.
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival and Falmouth Classics Regatta
17-19 June
Get two Festivals in one in June as Falmouth hosts the largest free nautical music and song festival in Europe, celebrating the town’s proud history as a safe port of call for deepwater sailing ships and the sailors songs that have long been sung in its alehouses. The Sea Shanty Festival has now been programmed to coincide with the Falmouth Classics Regatta, bringing hundreds of small and large vessels to the waters of Falmouth Bay and the Carrick Roads for three-days of racing, parades and onshore events.
PandaFest
8-9 July
Named because the village of Lanivet, where this new festival takes place, is famous for growing bamboo for the pandas at London zoo, this hidden gem is set in the heart of the Cornish countryside. With community at its heart, PandaFest celebrates local food and drink and the very best grassroots music Cornwall has to offer.
Tropical Pressure Festival
15-17 July
Bright, sunny, small and special – this three day Festival at Porthtowan Eco Park features music, food and drink and workshops celebrating the culture of Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. If you’re looking for a more intimate Festival experience that’s culturally diverse and committed to being as green and sustainable as it can be, this one’s for you.
Leopallooza
22-24 July
Nestled in a tree-filled Cornish valley just a few miles from the sea this family-friendly event is billed as the greatest house party… in a field. It’s a multi-award winning, grass roots Festival celebrating the best new and upcoming music acts as well as established musicians and DJs. Free camping and fairly priced bars add to the appeal.
St Endellion Festival
26 July-5 August
Each Easter and summer, musicians from around the world descend on the tiny parish church of St Endellion to perform opera, choral, orchestral, chamber and recital concerts. Established in 1958, the Festival aims to deliver the best Festival it can on the lowest budget and it’s run entirely by volunteers and with ticket prices kept as low as possible. Summer Opera Nights have become a very popular element of the Festival with recent performances including The Rake’s Progress, The Magic Flute, Ariadne auf Naxos, Gloriana, Tannhaüser, Die Walküre, Peter Grimes, Carmen, La bohème, Gloriana and Boris Godunov, with Sir John Tomlinson in the title role.
Rock Oyster Festival
29-31 July
Hosted by Jack Stein and friends this super Festival combines fabulous food with an eclectic music selection in the grounds of Dinham House, near Rock. Headline acts this year include Rick and Jack Stein, The Happy Mondays, Rosemary Shrager, Passenger, Laura Mvula and Grandmaster Flash. There’s high jinks family fun featuring circus skills, mermaids and more as well as outdoor activities like fossil hunting and Canadian canoe adventures. And don’t forget the Jellyfish field where the wellbeing programme includes SUP and aerial yoga, beach fitness and mindfulness.
Geek Fest
6-7 August
Get your geek on at Heartlands as this bastion of all things cosplay, cult movie and TV and gaming rolls into Redruth. The family-friendly daytimes include cosplay, live performances, movie props, photo ops and lots of traders with everything from board games to unique collectables. There’s a dinosaur area, drone racing, VR experiences and you can even try your hand at axe throwing. The over-18s after party features the Breaking Bad bar, live music and a laser show. Visitors are welcome to attend in cosplay or fancy dress and there will be a changing area for any day to night switches!
heartlandscornwall.com/geekfest-2022/
Boardmasters
10-14 August
Experience the world’s best surfers at Fistral Beach by day and some of the biggest names in music by night at this three-day Festival in the UK’s surf capital of Newquay. This year acts like George Ezra, Kings of Leon, Disclosure, Bastille, Bombay Bicycle Club and more join the line-up.
Make your own Festival and check out the Family Field for added wonderment, nurture yourself in the mindfulness and wellbeing workshops in Zennor Haven, or dance till dawn with late-night venues and after parties.
