Newquay Events and Festivals

(Newquay, Cornwall, England, UK)

Newquay's programme of annual events is jam packed with exciting festivals, many of which attract crowds of literally thousands. Particularly popular is Newquay's Run to the Sun Festival each May, when hoards of VW enthusiasts arrive in their souped-up cars and camper vans.

Also worth noting, the Newquay Rip Curl Boardmaster festival features a range of events, including a surfing championship based around Fistral Beach, while close to the town, there is always something happening in nearby towns and villages, such as the Winter Festival at the Eden Project, Wadebridge's huge Royal Cornwall Show, the Mevagissey Feast Week each June, and the Stithians Agricultural Show in July.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
• First and last Monday in May
• Last Monday in August
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day

Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Eden's Winter Festival, mid-January to early February, held at St. Austell's breathtaking Eden Project, with an ice skating rink, storytelling, live music, films and even choir concerts within the Temperature Biome
• SECTA Catering and Hospitality Trade Show - late January / early February, various themed events take place at the Looe Bay Holiday Park, on the eastern side of Looe and approximately 58 km / 36 miles from Newquay, a 55-minute car drive

February

• Valentine's Day - February 14th, romance is definitely in the air in Newquay on this day and many couples enjoy a themed Valentine's dinner at restaurants all around the town

March

• Easter Celebrations - late March / early April, with services at various local churches amongst other Easter-related events

April

• Trevithick Day - late April, taking place each year in nearby Camborne, around 32 km / 20 miles from Newquay, a 30-minutes drive. This popular event celebrates the region's rich mining past and features a host of free entertainment along the main streets
• Giant Bolster Weekend - late April, a festival based around the village's legendary character of Bolster, a bad-tempered Cornish giant, who is remembered with street entertainment and fun theatrical performances

May

• Rip Curl English Surf Championships - early May, surfing competition based at Fistral Beach
• Padstow Obby Oss - early May, believed to be England's most historical dance festival of its kind, with a strong Celtic theme
• Daphne du Maurier Festival - mid-May, taking place in Fowey, some 58 km / 26 miles from Newquay, a ten-day event with performances by many stars of the stage and screen, including music and concerts. The Daphne du Maurier Festival also features guided walks and many local performers from all over Cornwall
• Run to the Sun Festival - late May, a major event where huge numbers of VW enthusiasts arrive in their showy beetles and camper vans, featuring excellent evening entertainment, including famous DJs, discos, live music and many top comedians. Newquay's Run to the Sun usually attracts crowds of almost 40,000 people and everyone is welcome to join in the fun

June

• Looe Festival by the Sea - early June, a two-day event at nearby Looe, around 58 km / 36 miles from Newquay. Expect to find many fishing-related events, including tours of trawlers and local fishing boats, cooking demonstrations using freshly caught fish, a flower festival and plenty of dancing
• Royal Cornwall Show - early June, enormous three-day event in Wadebridge, some 26 km / 16 miles from Newquay, boasting an enormous amount of entertainment, with various marquees, displays, a steam fair and market stalls, attending by over 100,000 people
• Polperro Festival - mid-June, week-long festivities in the Polperro area, with a number of concerts, local Morris dancing and short plays
• Mevagissey Feast Week - late June, in the Mevagissey area, just 30 km / 19 miles from Newquay, with a feast of seafood as St. Peter is remembered, the Patron Saint of Fisherman. A carnival and fete also takes place, amongst other well-attended events

July

• Stithians Agricultural Show - mid-July, a huge yearly agricultural show drawing crowds of more than 20,000 people and offers much more than just farmyard animals
• The Budweiser K Festival - late July, a prominent music gig attracting many of the country's leading bands at the time

August

• Harbour Sports Day - early August, when visitors can compete in a range of activities, including swimming, surfing and sculling
• Rip Curl Boardmaster - early to mid-August, one of Newquay's most famous and talked about events, incorporating an array of trendy lifestyle sports, such as surfing, skateboarding and BMX riding, together with a host of entertainment and shows, including a selection of events centred around Fistral Beach
• West of England Steam Rally - mid-August, a huge steam-related festival with well over 200 individual steam engines, rural crafts and magnificent working fairground organs, based at Tywarnhayle Farm in the village of St. Agnes, some 18 km / 11 miles from Newquay
• Fowey Regatta - mid to late August, one of Cornwall's most popular sailing regattas, taking place every year over the third week of August, with a carnival parade, flying display by the Red Arrows and many other family events, in nearby Fowey
• Bude RNLI Lifeboat Day - late August, with various events based around Bude's waterfront, which is just over 69 km / 43 miles from Newquay, a journey time of just over one hour and five minutes
• Cornwall Folk Festival - late August, based in Wadebridge and offering a varied mixture of folk music, street entertainment and dancing. This is an historic festival dating back around 40 years
• Bude Jazz Festival - late August / early September, one of England's top jazz festivals, lasting around eight days and boasting in excess of 200 different jazz-related events around the Newquay area, including many concerts both outside and in a number of the town's indoor venues

September

• Fish Festival - mid-September, lots of seafood celebrations, based around Newquay harbour
• Bluegrass Festival - mid-September, lasting three days, this notable musical event has become known for its banjo playing and is usually to be found at the Hendra Holiday Park
• British Bodyboard Surf Contest - late September / early October, a major event in the surfing calendar, with strong waves around Newquay's top beaches

October

• The Lowender Peran Festival - mid-October, a true Celtic celebration of Cornwall's rich history and heritage, with a series of concerts, markets and appealing workshops
• Halloween Night Party - around October 31st, ticket-only event taking place at Newquay Zoo
• Roseland Festival - late October / early November, with various music, film and dance-related events all around the Roseland Peninsula, roughly 50 km / 31 miles from Newquay

November

• Bonfire Night - around November 5th another good excuse for a superb public fireworks display, with plenty of hot food and drinks to keep you warm

December

• Festival of Christmas Lights - early December, Newquay Zoo is decorated with colourful lights and seasonal decorations
• New Year's Eve - December 31st, venues around Newquay certainly know how to see in the new year and offer a night to remember for a very long time, including fancy dress events