Tickets have gone on sale for this year's Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival gala concert as the massive event makes a return in person after a two year absence.
The Gala Concert at The Princess Pavilion, entitled Shipshape and Bristol Fashion, tales place on Saturday June 18 at 7pm and features performers from the Severn Estuary region The Barnacle Buoys, The Harry Browns of Bristol, The Longest Johns and Severn Wheelers.
Over the course of the three day festival, during the weekend of Friday June 17 to Sunday, June 19, there will be performances from over 70 groups across various venues.
In 2019, the last time the festival was run in the open, an estimated 65,000 visitors descended on the town to enjoy more than 350 hours of free entertainment.
Encompassing as it does, a good part of the town, the team behind what has become the largest free nautical music festival in Europe feel that this year will be the biggest and best yet in its 19-year history.
Following two years when the festival was held in a virtual format, organisers are now confident that they have a winning combination of both new and existing venues to ensure audience enjoyment and safety.
The Cobweb Crew
Groups playing this year's festival include The Exmouth Shanty Men who have developed their stage show “Tall Ships and Tavern Tales – a voyage in song from the high seas to a dockside ale house”, The Cobweb Crew, formed at The Cobweb Inn, Boscastle in April 2021, The Dreckly's, a fun loving ‘mainly Cornish’ maids from St Austell who came together through a mutual love of singing Cornish songs, shanties, reviving old folk songs and introducing a bit of ‘Blues and Barbershop’ all in their own unique harmony.
The Cadgwith Singers are one of over 70 groups will be performing at this year's festival
The Cadgwith Singers started many years ago in the pub at Cadgwith with Buller and Hartley. They gather on a Friday night to sing - well-anything and everything really and in their own words "always in the same unrehearsed and unique style"!
The Drecklys
C.A.S.K. (Collings A cappella Shanty Krew) are a daughter and father shanty duo from Teignmouth, in Devon. Garbed as mermaid and pirate, they have a strikingly different look as well as beautifully blended harmonies.
Daughter and father duo C.A.S.K.
New venues this year include a main stage on Church Street Car Park, the bandstand and gardens of the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth Rugby Club, The Cornish Bank and The Boathouse.
Official fundraising merchandise featuring a new range of festival wear, CDs, pin badges and more, will be available through the website, the Cornish Store and festival shops.
In keeping with tradition shanty groups will compete to 'Beat Betty [Stogs]' in her efforts to raise money for the RNLI.
The Falmouth RNLI is the festival's chosen charity for which over £100,000 has been donated over the years.
The tickets for the Gala Concert are priced at £15, plus a £1.50 booking fee, and are on sale via See Tickets -www.seetickets.com/event/falmouth-sea-shanty-festival-2022-gala/princess-pavilion/2328067.
The main sponsors this year are The Greenbank Hotel, Seasalt, Skinners, Falmouth BID and Falmouth Town Council.
To donate to the festival and see the full line-up, please visit - www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk
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