Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival returns to celebrate its 20th year

Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival 2024 returns for its 20th year this June with another spectacular event.

Falmouth looks forward to welcoming back performers, sailors and visitors for another spectacular International Sea Shanty Festival from June 14-16, 2024.

With over 80 groups, twenty plus venues and three large main outdoor stages, this notable festival is spread across Falmouth and promises to be an extra special event this year.

Organisation is underway for a commemorative performance to celebrate twenty years of Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival by the five original groups that performed at the festival’s inception in 2004.

Betty Stogs helps raise money for the RNLI every year (Image: Falmouth Sea Shanty)

The original idea of the festival was borne in true Cornish fashion by three friends over a few drinks at Custom House Quay, Falmouth.

Five local groups; Falmouth Shout, Fisherman’s Friends, Rum and Shrub, Cadgwith Singers, and Cape Cornwall Singers, then performed at the first ever iteration of the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival.

Since then, the event has gone from strength to strength and grown exponentially over the last 20 years. In recent years, the festival has seen an upsurge in the number of younger performers, female-only shanty groups and will welcome back Seaweed in the Fruit Locker, a LGBTQIA+ sea shanty choir, for 2024.

It also continues to enjoy growth in the mainstream music industry bringing this style of music into the spotlight and has international appeal with groups travelling from France and the Netherlands to perform in Falmouth this year.

The Falmouth International Sea Shanty festival is now one of the largest free nautical music festivals in Europe and is always a highlight in Falmouth’s year-round events programme welcoming thousands to the vibrant coastal town every year.

Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival returns for its 20th year (Image: Falmouth Sea Shanty)

“The Sea Shanty Festival came from humble beginnings and has now grown into a full three-day event over recent years” said Keven Ayres from the Sea Shanty Organising Committee. “The sheer number of groups wanting to be involved is a testament to how successful the festival is, which just keeps getting bigger and better year-on-year!”.

“We are looking forward to the twentieth year of the festival” Richard Gates, Falmouth Town Manager adds. “It’s always a tremendous occasion for Falmouth and brings enormous economic and social value to the town, local businesses, and the community. It is great to see so many people visiting from around the world as well as across the UK and from within Cornwall.”

In keeping with tradition, the event will continue to support and fundraise for the RNLI who are celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea this year.

Pirates on parade! (Image: Falmouth Sea Shanty)

In addition to the main town wide event, a special Gala Concert will take place at the Princess Pavilion on Friday, June 14.

More details and tickets can be found via the website: www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk

As the festival approaches, official fundraising merchandise featuring a range of clothing, CDs, pin badges and more, will be available through the website, the Cornish Store, and festival shops.

The link for more information can be found here: www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk/festival-shop/

The organisers highlight the significant contribution from the main sponsors and partners The Greenbank Hotel, Seasalt, Sharps, Falmouth BID, Falmouth Town Council and event production partner South West Bars and Events.

To donate to the festival and see the full line-up, visit: www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk