With a full roster of festivals in Cornwall, you have a staggering choice of how to fill your time on holiday, whether you love surfing, food, music, or a little bit of everything!
Whether you want to let loose to some tunes with sand between your toes or you’re after a more relaxed affair with some sea shanties and flowing local ales, Cornwall is home to some of the best festivals in the country and after two years of silence, we are ready to dance like nobody's watching once more. Here’s our countdown of festivals in Cornwall for 2024 so you can bip, bop and boogie your way through the year.
Rattler Fest
Where: Healeys Cyder Farm, Penhallow
When: 19th – 20th April
Access: Just off the A30 with parking on-site
When a festival is adults only and centred around Cornwall’s most famous cider, you know you’re in for a hair letting-down time. Spread across three glorious days, Rattler Fest is all fun, games, and music with numerous sites across the festival catering to different tastes. Live music, silent discos, and celebrity DJs are just some of the sparkling entertainment on offer. The Rattler Olympics and fairground rides also offer the chance to unleash your inner child as you dunk for apples and go head-to-head with bumper cars.
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Porthleven Food Festival
Where: Porthleven harbour, Porthleven
When: 26th – 28th April
Access: Roads into Porthleven will be closed for non-residents, so parking in the festival car park, public transport or walking/cycling in is recommended
Food festival might be the name of the game, but it’s certainly not all that’s on offer at this three-day-long spectacular. With Porthleven’s beautiful harbour as the backdrop, take your taste buds for a tour around the world as you taste your way through the hodgepodge of aromatic stalls and wagons. Pizza, American grill, local ales and spirits, Cornish cakes, and much (much) more awaits, alongside chef’s demos and workshops where you can get stuck in. Throughout the sweet-smelling day and disco-lit night, there is also a host of live music so you can dance off all of the glorious food you’ve enjoyed.
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Eden Sessions
Where: Eden Project, Bodelva
When: From May
Access: Parking at the Eden Project
While technically not a festival, we couldn’t resist including the Eden Sessions, which filter incredible performances throughout the summer months. With the iconic biomes lit up like giant disco balls as your backdrop, Eden Sessions are a totally unique venue for catching some incredible international greats. With a lineup that will get bigger and better as the year goes on, we're already looking forward to the likes of Paolo Nutini and Rick Astley taking to the stage, with Manic Street Preachers and Suede giving us every excuse to dig out our favourite rock-lover outfits.
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Falmouth Food Festival
Where: Church Street car park, Falmouth
When: 24th - 26th May
Access: There are several car parks across Falmouth or you can catch the park and ride bus from Ponsharden Park
One of Cornwall’s newest festivals to enter the foodie scene, Falmouth Food Festival promises a hearty mix of local food, drink, and music as it turns the already food-focussed town into a celebration of all things Cornish. Alongside the giddy mix of food and music, a series of art installations allow local artists to lend their creative voices to the weekend. Stroll around the sweet-smelling stalls or pop down to one of the many beautiful beaches for a refreshing dip in the turquoise seas.
Great Estate
Where: Scorrier House, Redruth
When: 31st May - 2nd June
Access: Train stations at Redruth and Truro just 15 minutes away, or there is parking at the estate
It’s safe to say that everyone loves a garden fete… Well, the Great Estate really kicks things up a notch with their rambunctious version that holds no punches. Jubilant performances of live music will be dotted around the grounds, including the musical ramblings of the The Darkness, who bring hip-swinging and head-banging fun. With lots of other happenings going on, from Victorian garden games to incredible lantern parades, you’ll find plenty of captivating activities to pique your interest. If, like us, food is always at the forefront of the mind, you’ll be pleased to know that an eclectic mix of food stalls will ensure everyone is satisfied all weekend long.
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Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival
Where: Across Falmouth
When: 14th – 16th June
Access: There are several car parks across Falmouth
Whether you’re into nautical music or not, no one can resist the boot-stomping energy of sea shanties sung with passion, heart, and a swig of ale… which is exactly why this Cornish get together in South Cornwall has turned into the largest free nautical music and song festival in Europe! Although the lineup has yet to be released, 2024 promises another year of raised glasses and boisterous cheer, with previous performers including The Oggymen, Longest Johns, Fishermen’s Friends. Come along and get wrapped up in the Cornish tradition of singing loud and drinking deep!
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Tunes in the Dunes
Where: Perranporth beach, Perranporth
When: 17th – 19th May
Access: Parking behind the co-op in Perranporth
When it comes to beachside festivals you can’t do better than Tunes in the Dunes, which actually takes place amidst the golden sands at Perranporth beach in North Cornwall. Get caught up in some incredible live performances by artists such as McFly and everyone's favourite Queen cover band, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boys, as the waves crash in the background and the sand moves under your feet. Then, when the rhythmic jumping sets off the hunger pangs, head to the side of the arena to explore the food vendors on offer. From pizza to fresh seafood, there have been some seriously tempting options in previous years.
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Tropical Pressure
Where: Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Porthtowan
When: 12th - 14th July
Access: Parking tickets can be purchased ahead of the festival or you can get the shuttle bus from Redruth train station
Looking for an intimate festival experience? Tropical Pressure brings all of the memory-making delights of a big festival while keeping things nice and small, creating a wonderful experience for anyone looking to dance the weekend away. Celebrating music from different cultures, the lineup is always a smash hit here, with 2024 seeing the likes of La Dame Blanche and Queens of Lovers Rock take to the stage. Speaking of, there are three excellent stages to choose from, as well as a series of workshops dedicated to health and wellbeing. If you’re looking for an eco-conscious festival, this is the one for you!
Rock Oyster Festival
Where: Dinham House Estate, Wadebridge
When: 25th – 28th July
Access: Parking can be added when you purchase your ticket
Whether you’re a foodie, a music lover, or you just want an action-packed weekend with the gang, the Rock Oyster Festival really does have something for everyone. Sugarbabes and Bombay Bicycle Club are headlining across the weekend with some other fantastic artists rounding out the roster for some unbeatable music, including Newton Faulkner and Wille and the Bandits. Feeling peckish? You’ll be spoilt for choice as you tour the different chef tipis, some of which contain Michelin-starred chefs and some tummy rumbling demos. You can then head down to Mussel Beach for some SUP yoga and coasteering to really turn this into a weekend to remember.
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Falmouth Week
Where: Across Falmouth
When: 9th – 17th August
Access: There are several car parks across Falmouth
So much more than your usual festival, Falmouth Week turns the already vibrant waterside town of Falmouth into a hive of live music, sailing extravaganzas, and pink wigs, a phenomenally fun fundraiser that kicks off the week while raising money and awareness for breast cancer. This week-long and town-wide celebration takes a leaf out of every book imaginable as each day presents new and entertaining sights and sounds. Markets offer an eclectic mix of local foods and wares, the now infamous 80s and 00s night send partygoers back to the heyday of pop, while the firework display ends the week on a literal bang! Oh and there are plenty of parades, aerial displays from the Red Arrows, and all manner of foodie treats to keep you entertained all week long.
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Boardmasters
Where: Trebelsue Farm, Newquay
When: 7th – 11th August
Access: Shuttle bus running from Newquay town centre
Considered the epicentre of surfing, food, and music, the Boardmasters festival has become one of the top festivals in Cornwall and annually attracts thousands of eager visitors to Newquay. Seven stages and a silent disco provide almost endless opportunities to catch some superb music, with headliners including Chase & Status and Sam Fender. If you wander down to Fistral beach, not only can you browse some fantastic pop-up stalls, but you can plop yourself down on the sand to watch the Boardmasters OPEN, which always provides an incredible display of skill with a board. You can even take to the waves yourself with many opportunities to learn to surf throughout the festival.
Note: Parking in Newquay can be a challenge during Boardmasters, so it might be better to catch the bus in.
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Cornwall Folk Festival
Where: Wadebridge
When: 22nd – 26th August
Access: Plenty of car parks around Wadebridge, all close to the festival
It may be on a smaller scale compared to some of its Cornish brothers and sisters, but Cornwall Folk Festival still packs a punch when it comes to great performances. Held over several stages and locations around Wadebridge, including the town hall and Betjeman Centre, catch over 70 acts from Cornwall and beyond that celebrate all things traditional, alt-rock, Americana and rock. In short, if you’re looking for a festival that really shines a light on the best of folk, this is the one for you.
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Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival
Where: Healeys Cyder Farm, Penhallow
When: 13th – 15th September
Access: Car parking passes available
Another fantastical festival taking place at Healeys Cyder Farm, Little Orchard Cider and Music Festival is the family-friendly version of Rattler Fest and promises three days of fabulous fun. Catch a host of big names on the main stage, squeak the night away at the silent disco (have you ever heard a silent disco? It can be more entertaining than the music itself), and check out the riotous fun that can be found throughout the festival – who’s ready for Grandma’s sofa derby?
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St Ives September Festival
Where: Across St Ives
When: 14th – 28th September
Access: St Ives can get very busy and car parks fill up quickly so we recommend the park and ride options from Lelant train station
Theatre, live music, comedy, poetry, open studios… every conceivable cultural interest is covered at this wonderfully expansive festival in St Ives. Stroll down the cobbled streets and along the pretty harbour, discovering street corners and cafés playing host to artists of every nature or head to one of the bigger venues such as the Guildhall for some big names and even bigger tunes. There’s a mix of free and ticketed events so make sure to check out the website for details on everything that’s going on – spanning two weeks, there is certainly plenty to choose from!
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Excited to make the most of Cornwall’s diverse range of festivals? Book your stay in one of our beautiful cottages in Cornwall today.
