Full timetable for Kent coastal festival where you can enjoy live music and exhilarating boat races

Summer is here which means there are countless exciting events and festivals taking place throughout Kent very soon to get jotted in your calendar. If a day out by the seaside watching exhilarating boat races and enjoying live music sounds like your cup of tea, then the Port of Dover Regatta is one you won’t want to miss,

Taking place on Saturday, July 6 the event will see Dover waterfront come to life with spectacular entertainment, stalls and events for all to enjoy. The regatta is a colourful celebration of this iconic seafront and its community, and will kick off from 10am, running through the day until 6pm.

Live music will be hosted over on the marina curve at the clocktower, an iconic feature of the recently revamped waterfront. A variety of local talent has been booked to perform, including Golden Wonders, The Native Oysters Band and Taiko Dunlopo.

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Along the shoreline, guests can expect to find a whole host of stalls and street entertainment, perfect for exploring between the music acts and the main star of the show - the boat races. Down at the waterside, the spectacular dragon boat race will begin between 10am and 12pm.

These races will see members of the public battle it out in an adrenaline-fueled competition of teamwork and skill. There is still time for teams to enter the dragon boat races, with each team requiring 13 members, comprising 12 paddlers and a drummer.

Team members must be at least 14 years of age to enter and any under 18s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Each team will take part in at least three timed races, covering a 200m sprint, with the fastest times being used to whittle down the qualifiers for the grand final.

The marina pier will offer the best views of these exciting races and the follow-up entertainment at the waterfront. Between 12pm and 12.30pm, the RNLI will take to the waterfront for demonstrations and talks, while guests will also get the chance to see the brand-new RNLI Lifeboat Station.

Following on from this, the Dover lifeguard swimming race will be held between 12.30pm and 1pm, a new addition to the regatta for 2024. From 1pm, the afternoon dragon boat races will commence, coming to a head with the grand final at 3.30pm.

This will see all the final teams race together one last time, with the first boat to cross the finish line crowned the ‘Dragon Boat Champions of Dover’. Such a prestigious title will be marked with an awards ceremony where specially engraved trophies are awarded to the captains of the top three teams and winners’ medals to each member of the winning crew. Full details on entering the dragon boat races can be found here.

Diederik Smet, Placemaking, Events and Partnerships Manager at the Port of Dover said: “It’s been brilliant to see the Community making the most of Dover’s fantastic waterfront all year round – I’m sure the Regatta will be extremely popular once again. We are thrilled to have Fred. Olsen onboard as lead sponsor for the first time, mirroring our commitment to present world class visitor experiences here in Dover.”

“The Regatta is a day not to be missed – we thank our sponsors Fred. Olsen, DFDS and Perry’s plus local partners, charities, and businesses for working with us to provide amazing memories for the whole family.”

Port of Dover Regatta 2024 timetable

Music at the clocktower

• Taiko Dunlopo - 11am to 11.30am

• Golden Wonders - 11.30am to 1.30pm

• The Native Oysters Band - 2pm to 4pm

• Samuel Ashton & The Instincts - 4.30pm to 6pm

Boat races and waterside entertainment

• Morning dragon boat races - 10am to 12pm

• RNLI - 12pm to 12.30pm

• Dover Lifeguards Swimming Race - 12.30pm to 1pm

• Afternoon dragon boat races - 1pm to 3.30pm

• Dragon boat race grand final - 3.30pm to 4pm

• Raffle prize draw and dragon boat winners announced - 4pm

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