Following a storming, in more ways than one, Port Eliot Festival, organisers have announced the dates of next year's festival. Port Eliot Festival 2018 will run from 26 - 29 July on the ancient estate at St Germans, south east Cornwall. Tickets will be on sale in October from porteliotfestival.com

This year’s festival saw some 500 artists, musicians, writers, wits, chefs, poets, performers, gardeners and other assorted interesting people taking to 18 stages to entertain and involve the sell-out audience.

A walk around the site brought all sorts of encounters. On the Park Stage, Emily Maitlis chatted to John Lloyd, musing over Donald Trump’s sticky hair and the ways of his now-departed ‘Mooch’; Zandra Rhodes stepped from her ‘apartment’ and into the Art School to pose for drawing classes; Michael C. Hall sang an impromptu and exquisite version of Bowie’s ‘Where Are We Now?’ by request of an audience member who found his high hopes exceeded; The Orielles had the Caught By The River audience ever-so-slightly astounded with their post-punk jingle-jangle; and one victorious entrant to the Flower & Fodder Show is now having her ‘Four Berry Festival Jam’ made and sold by Fortnum & Mason.

The new Poetry Stage was packed instantly and throughout; the queue snaked around the block as devotees of The Lilac Time awaited their 30th anniversary performance in Cornwall’s oldest church; chef Freddy Bird joined with Skinner’s Brewery to bring flame to the new Open Fire area at Flower & Fodder; Nick Lowe – can a human being be more genial? – played a jukebox set of brilliant song craft; the Yogarena down by the viaduct was filled with song, dance and all manner of poses; the Boogie Round turned a hedge into a gateway to DJ sets and high-standard dance moves.

Stanley Tucci overcame a ‘lost in Cornwall’ morning to pack the Park with tales of Shrek for an adoring audience; Heathcote Williams was celebrated in exhibition, stage design and rooftop rendition of his masterpiece, Whale Nation; Thomasina Miers overcame an exploding mixer to create a fabulously hot and addictive bonnet-tomato jam; the voice of Agatha Christie was the signal for mixed reality headgear adventures in an unseen bedroom in the House. And this is just a tiny selection.

Catherine St Germans, co-founder and director of Port Eliot Festival, said, “We are reeling, in a very enjoyable way, from an event which brought thousands of people together and provided a shared experience that was different for everybody. Since the festival began in 2003, we have managed to escape the worst of the British summer, so we were due a drenching; and we got one. While there were a few examples of campers needing our help during the very worst of the Saturday weather, we were so delighted that the Port Eliot spirit and atmosphere stayed strong throughout. And we were rewarded with a fine, sunny Sunday.”

“The landscaped park and estate will need some love and attention now, but we will ensure that it is returned to its full beauty. And there is no chance of a fallow year in 2018; we’re excited to look forward to next year already. Finally, I would like to extend an enormous ‘thank you’ to everybody - audience, performers, crew, St Germans villagers - who helped to make this one so remarkable. We will see you all soon.”

FESTIVAL INFORMATION

Port Eliot Festival: 26-29 July 2018. porteliotfestival.com

Port Eliot Estate, St Germans, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 5ND.