Cornwall LivingIssue #73
Festival Directory
Looe & behold!
Looe Music Festival
21st to 23rd September
Swap your wellies for flip-flops – now in it’s eighth year this award-winning festival promises a spectacular finale to the summer. Every September the Cornish fishing port gets hit with big music and manic entertainment. The main stage is on the beach but music pops up throughout the streets and spills from venues all over the harbour. This year boasts a stellar line-up including, punk rock legends The Stranglers, Scottish sensation The Waterboys, and Finnish barn-rock ambassadors Steve ‘n’ Seagulls, and much, much more!
Raise a glass!
Newquay Beer Festival
21st to 23rd September
Newquay Beer Festival, held at Hendra Holiday Park, is one of Cornwall’s friendliest events for beer aficionados. Organised by Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club and run exclusively by volunteers, it has raised over £30,000 for local causes since it first began. But don’t worry if beer isn’t your thing; the festival boasts a fantastic range of hand-selected ciders, soft drinks and, of course, lots of great entertainment across two stages. There’s plenty of outside seating, making it the perfect destination for enjoying a sunny afternoon.
An outdoor miracle
The Cherry Orchard
15th June to 25th August
Cornwall’s Miracle Theatre head outdoors again this summer bringing their open-air performances to gardens, beaches, castles and clifftops throughout Cornwall. This year, the award-winning company unpacks Chekhov’s bittersweet comedy, ‘The Cherry Orchard’, treading a tragicomic tightrope to bring out all of the humour and pathos of Chekhov’s masterpiece. Make sure you bring something to sit on and all you need for a cosy evening so you can snuggle down and watch the miracle of open-air theatre unfurl all around you.
An immersive experience
100: UnEarth at The Lost Gardens of Heligan
3rd to 22nd July
‘100: UnEarth’ looks at the devastating aftermath of conflict, telling the homecoming stories of those who fight and live through war. With a love story at its heart, the WildWorks team will weave their way through The Lost Gardens of Heligan, in this retelling of the Greek Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. As an outdoor promenade performance, you’ll be following the action through the gardens, making it suitable for brave children aged 12 and above. Delicious street food will be available – the perfect start to a spectacular night.
Riverside revels!
Rock Oyster Festival
6th to 7th August
Set on the banks of the river Camel, Rock Oyster Festival is growing in popularity every year and is certainly one of the great festival experiences of the Cornish summer. Rock Oyster Festival can be accessed from the famous Camel Trail, which is great because it means you can either dip in for a few hours during your tour around the estuary, or pitch up for the weekend in the family camping area. A safe place for the whole family to revel in the festivities, Rock Oyster Festival should definitely be in your summer diary!
Food and frivolity
Port Eliot Festival
26th to 29th July
Port Eliot describes itself as ‘your playground for one magical weekend’ and, whether you’re swimming in the estuary, picnicking under a 300-year-old tree, canoeing on the river watching one of the cooking demonstrations in the big kitchen, “our home is yours for the weekend.” Whether you’re with the kids, or enjoying a weekend away with just the two of you, there’s plenty to keep you entertained and occupied, from art and literature, to fantastic live music, comedy acts, midnight flying trapeze shows, spectacular food and so much more!