In just a couple of days, Falmouth will be filled with songs of the sea as the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival sails into town for it’s fifteenth year from 22nd – 24th June 2018.

The festival, which is set to be biggest yet, has something for everyone with over 60 international groups performing across 24 different venues from cosy pubs to open air stages, modern bars to historic hotels. Sponsored by Seasalt Clothing and Skinners Brewery, organised by the Festival Committee Working Group and supported by Falmouth Town Council, the not-for-profit festival raises funds for the RNLI with the infamous Betty Stogs this year attempting to singlehandedly raise a staggering £10,000. This fundraising is a large part of what is so incredible about the festival; the diverse Falmouth community comes together to keep the songs of the sea alive and support the RNLI. This year, the community support stretches even further with an exciting new initiative to reduce the amount of single-use plastic used across the festival.

Local action group Plastic Free Falmouth, in partnership with the Festival Committee, Seasalt Clothing and Skinners Brewery have been able to source and fund 3000 branded reusable cups for the 2018 Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival which is an impressive dent in the usage of single-use plastic over the weekend. The cups will retail at £1 and can be used across any festival venue. This plastic free project is testament to what can be achieved when local people work together with volunteers, councillors, local business and community groups joining to support the scheme.

In addition to the sourcing of reusable cups, Plastic Free Falmouth are providing a number of additional recycling points which will be well signposted throughout the town for any single-use plastic cups to avoid them being caught up in general waste.

The festival committee and Plastic Free Falmouth suggest purchasing your reusable cups as soon as you see them on sale at the Festival Shops and Skinners Bar on Events Square. With over 50,000 visitors predicted to arrive in Falmouth across the weekend it’s likely that the 3000 reusable cups will sell out very quickly. The Festival Shops, on Events Square and Customs House Quay will also be the port of call for souvenir hats, t-shirts, CDs, flashdrives and jute bags, as well as the all important programme which enables you to plan your weekend and ensure your favourite unmissable group really are unmissable!

The Festival Parade, led by Betty Stogs and the Falmouth Marine Band, will be full of this years performers from across the globe. Taking place on Saturday 23rd June at 11.15am and departing from Prince of Wales Pier, the parade will venture through the town to Events Square.

The list of performing groups over the festival are: SEE PDF

Road closures through Market Street, Church Street and Arwenack Street will be in place from 11am to 9pm on Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday. Church Street Car Park will be closed to vehicles on the Saturday and Sunday due to the road closures. For further information on the festival and to explore the exciting interactive 360 tour courtesy of 3Deep Aerial head to www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk